Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Penalty Points System Offences

Clare Daly

984. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce as a fixed penalty notice offence the offence of historical breaches of EU drivers' hours regulations similar to what the UK authorities are currently contemplating. [49583/14]

Road Safety Data

Clare Daly

985. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of driver CPC training organisations found in breach of regulations during premises inspections conducted by Competence Assurance Solutions during 2012-13 and 2014; and the number of driver CPC trainers whose services were terminated for breaches of regulations following Competence Assurance Services Class inspections during 2012-13 and 2014. [49584/14]

Road Projects

Clare Daly

986. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is satisfied with the width of road space allocated to motorised traffic travelling west on the N16 at Ash Lane and south on Cleveragh Road in County Sligo following the creation of cycle lanes. [49585/14]

Road Safety Data

Clare Daly

987. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of driver CPC training organisations found in breach of regulations during premises inspections conducted by a company (details supplied) during 2012 , 2013 and 2014; and the number of driver CPC trainers whose services were terminated for breaches of regulations following services class these inspections during 2012, 2013 and 2014. [49589/14]

Transport Costs

Clare Daly

1004. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the prohibitive fare hikes introduced by Dublin Bus which will see a five day bus pass increase, from €25 to €29.50 per week; the action he will take regarding this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1100/15]

Bord na gCon Remit

Clare Daly

24. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the fact that the normal practice in sports is to make public all doping tests, both positive and negative, and to disqualify those who test positive as it provides them with an unfair advantage, the reason this is currently not the standard practice in the Irish dog-racing industry; if new legislation to implement these rules is currently being formulated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48395/14]

Bord na gCon Administration

Clare Daly

25. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in its reply to the Indecon report published earlier this year, Bord na gCon outlined a schedule for the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report; if he will shed light on progress made in the implementation of recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48394/14]

International Terrorism

Clare Daly

454. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Irish authorities sought a deletion of any references to Ireland in the CIA torture report in view of the fact that it has been established that Britain's intelligence agencies were deleted at their request from the report. [49034/14]

Departmental Funding

Clare Daly

533. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 181 of 11 December 2014, when he will issue a decision on the application in view of the fact that the appeal was lodged in July and that Show Racism the Red Card carries out vital racist educational programmes. [49033/14]

Departmental Bodies

Clare Daly

20. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way he plans to deal with the anticipated substantial extra workload on Labour Court-LRC staff arising from the Workplace Relations Bill and his plans to increase staff numbers to ensure an efficient, accessible and timely service is delivered. [47998/14]

International Agreements

Clare Daly

23. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47999/14]

Central Bank of Ireland Investigations

Clare Daly

47. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the reason a company (details supplied) was fined only €105,000 for breaching the Consumer Credit Act 1995, despite the fact that it has a turnover of €4.5 billion. [48552/14]

Central Bank of Ireland Investigations

Clare Daly

48. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the legal firm that advised the Central Bank of Ireland regarding their determination in relation to the breaches of the Consumer Credit Act 1995 by a company (details supplied); and if his attention has been drawn to conflicts of interest there. [48553/14]

Driver Licence Data

Clare Daly

112. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of professional drivers prosecuted to date for not complying with the requirement to have acquired a driver certificate of professional competence, CPC, card. [48538/14]

Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes

Clare Daly

126. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the objective of the incentivised regime in relation to remission of sentence is to provide tangible incentives to prisoners to participate in structured activities and to reinforce incentives for good behaviour, leading to a safer and more secure environment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48702/14]

Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes

Clare Daly

127. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there is a differentiation of levels of privilege, that is, basic, standard and enhanced currently in operation on the E2 landing of Portlaoise prison, County Laois, and that enhanced privileges are not a right and are in fact dependent on meeting certain criteria, for that level, notably by exemplary behaviour and satisfactory engagement in structured activities. [48703/14]

Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes

Clare Daly

128. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views that the progression of a person (details supplied) to the enhanced level was dependent on them meeting the criteria for that level, notably by exemplary behaviour and satisfactory engagement in structured activities. [48704/14]

Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes

Clare Daly

129. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the incentivised regime scheme regarding one third remission is mandatory for each prison and for all prisoners. [48705/14]

Prisoner Releases

Clare Daly

130. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the decision-making process she relied upon to reach her decision to deny one third remission in respect of a person (details supplied); if the incentivised regimes status and reports factored in reaching her decision in these matters, or if it was a political decision. [48706/14]

Garda Promotions

Clare Daly

132. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality with regard to Garda appointments, the reason there seems to be a preference provided to sergeants who were involved in office-bound duties being promoted to the rank of inspector ahead of their peers who carry out front-line duties on a day-to-day basis. [48715/14]

Military Aircraft Landings

Clare Daly

135. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on statements from her Department that there is no evidence of Irish involvement in CIA renditions when they have been provided evidence of CIA rendition planes passing through Shannon. [48747/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Clare Daly

197. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 295 of 9 December 2014, in circumstances where a person aged over 70 years wishes to remain with his or her non-public sector general practitioner rather than parading around with his or her personal medical file to other GPs, if the non-public general practitioner's prescription will have the same recognition and equal status as that of a public sector GP, in other words, the prescription would be completed at the same cost at the pharmacy as would be the prescription of a public sector GP. [48759/14]

Shannon Airport Facilities

Clare Daly

207. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on statements from his Department that there is no evidence of Irish involvement in CIA renditions when they have been provided evidence of CIA rendition planes passing through Shannon. [48748/14]

Water Charges Administration

Clare Daly

224. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views that it is appropriate that her Department is paying a connection fee to Irish Water of €1,650 for school extensions even where the pipe work is in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48752/14]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Clare Daly

225. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) can overcome Student Universal Support Ireland queries regarding their place of residence, in view of the fact that they share the dwelling, have no utility bills in their name, but are capable of providing a sworn affidavit from the owner of the property regarding the fact that they have resided there for the relevant time. [48756/14]

Water Charges Administration

Clare Daly

248. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason schools are being charged a €1,650 connection fee with Irish Water for their school extensions. [48753/14]

Road Safety Authority Campaigns

Clare Daly

256. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the members of the Road Safety Authority driver certificate of professional competence, CPC, review groups which sat in 2013 were overlooked at the RSA Leading Light Awards in both 2013 and 2014, when a precedent had been set in 2012 when members of the RSA driver CPC groups, prior to that, received special recognition awards at the Leading Light ceremony for their voluntary efforts in sitting on the review committees. [48535/14]

Driver Safety

Clare Daly

257. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of professional bus drivers, category D and category D1, who were issued with a driver certificate of professional competence, CPC, card in September 2013 and the number of those drivers who completed a relevant module of their periodic training prior to 9 September 2014. [48536/14]

Driver Safety

Clare Daly

258. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of professional truck drivers, category C and C1, who were issued with a driver certificate of professional competence, CPC, card in respect of those categories before 9 September 2014. [48537/14]

Driver Safety

Clare Daly

259. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of candidates who sat and successfully passed the transport management certificate of professional competence, CPC, by venue to date in 2014. [48539/14]

Public Transport Provision

Clare Daly

260. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of specific road passenger service route licence applications received, rejected and granted during 2013 and to date in 2014; and if he will provide details of same. [48540/14]

Road Safety Authority

Clare Daly

261. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the health and safety guidelines under which authorised Road Safety Authority inspectors operate in selecting locations for conducting road side enforcement checkpoints. [48541/14]

Road Safety Authority

Clare Daly

262. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of Road Safety Authority roadside enforcement checkpoints by road number and by county conducted to date in 2014. [48542/14]

Road Safety Authority

Clare Daly

263. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of operator premises visits carried out by the Road Safety Authority enforcement inspectors in respect of drivers' hours regulations to date during 2014. [48543/14]

Road Safety Strategy

Clare Daly

264. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce own account operator licensing in the road haulage sector. [48544/14]

Haulage Industry Regulation

Clare Daly

265. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce refresher training on a periodic basis for those who have completed the transport management certificate of professional competence, CPC, course. [48545/14]

Road Tolls

Clare Daly

266. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will continue his efforts at the North-South Ministerial Council to get the Northern authorities to review their recent decision in respect of the imposition of the UK heavy goods vehicle levy in respect of trucks registered in the Twenty-six Counties and in respect of trucks using the A5 as the main transit route between north Donegal and Dublin. [48546/14]

Road Tolls

Clare Daly

267. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the routes in the Border counties in respect of which the Northern Ireland authorities granted exemptions to southern hauliers from the UK heavy goods vehicle levy. [48547/14]

EU Regulations

Clare Daly

268. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the fact that, under EU regulations, a coach driver on an international journey carrying passengers can legally drive subject to certain conditions for 12 consecutive days, while a truck driver carrying goods must take at least 24 hours rest after six consecutive days driving; his further views that goods are more strenuous to transport or are more valuable than human life; and his plans to raise this issue at EU level. [48548/14]

Public Procurement Contracts

Clare Daly

102. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to improve access to State contracts for Irish firms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47712/14]

Social Welfare Benefits

Clare Daly

134. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that the changes made to the Christmas bonus are payable to all social welfare recipients and not just those on jobseeker's payments. [47928/14]

Nitrates Action Programme Review

Clare Daly

318. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has acted on the recommendations of the second review of Ireland’s nitrates action programmes for an assessment of current levels of storage capacity and future needs for agricultural waste, that is, slurry and soiled water, to determine if in view of the growth in the national herd over the past three years and that planned under the terms of Food Harvest 2020 there is sufficed capacity, especially within the catchments of high status water quality sites. [48223/14]

Farm Waste Management

Clare Daly

319. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress that has been made in encouraging farmers to utilise farm waste to provide an alternative source of energy through anaerobic digestion, as is done in other countries. [48227/14]

Water Quality

Clare Daly

593. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to require existing farmers to provide an increase in the storage facilities for soiled water from the existing period of ten days capacity to 15 days that now applies to newly constructed soiled water tanks; and if not, the grounds on which he has justified this omission. [48224/14]

Water Quality

Clare Daly

594. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has acted on the recommendations of the Second Review of Ireland's Nitrates Action Programmes that research be commenced at the earliest possible date in order to quantify the risks currently posed by bovine access to waters and, where appropriate, propose management strategies to mitigate impacts. [48225/14]

Water Quality

Clare Daly

595. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the fact that the Second Review of Ireland's Nitrates Action Programme determined that having considered all information available to it, no scientific justification had been provided to support increased flexibility for slurry spreading during the prohibited period as he allowed in 2011, the steps he has taken to ensure that his officials will in the future confine their actions to those with appropriate scientific justification. [48226/14]

State Properties

Clare Daly

618. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of the vacant and under-utilised State property which has been made available for homeless-housing purposes over the past 12 months; and his plans regarding same. [47711/14]

Driver Licences

Clare Daly

645. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason personal public service numbers are required for the issuing of a new licence; and the reason the information is stored for a period of 20 years, with the ability for it to be passed to other Government Departments and third parties. [47929/14]

Hydraulic Fracturing

Clare Daly

33. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide assurances to Dáil Éireann that due to the serious risk associated with fracking that because of our dependence on tourism and agriculture and also the health implications for the population, that a company (details supplied) will not be granted an exploration licence; and that this matter of fracking will end. [47122/14]

Strategy for Renewable Energy

Clare Daly

38. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the supports provided through REFIT or otherwise by his Department, the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland and ESB to small scale hydro-microgeneration; and the supports provided through REFIT or otherwise to persons who install small-scale wind turbines including those turbines not requiring planning permission; and if the ESB will enable a grid connection and purchase the surplus electricity generated. [47121/14]

Defence Forces Retirement Scheme

Clare Daly

112. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 65 of 20 November 2014 the information requested has not been furnished, in view of the fact that the number of members of the Defence Forces who were retired by the President have been very small and those retired in the interests of the service under section 47(2) even fewer. [47503/14]

Garda Deployment

Clare Daly

120. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 16 October 2014, in which she states that she has asked the commissioner for information on the specific issue referred to by this Deputy and that she will reply directly to this Deputy; if she will provide the information as requested. [47538/14]

Child Care Services Regulation

Clare Daly

142. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in view of the Better Start programme entailing a third regulatory inspection of child care establishments, if he will improve the payments to early educators in line with the level of responsibility being imposed upon them. [47515/14]

Departmental Funding

Clare Daly

181. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the delay in the processing of the show racism the red card scheme to support national organisations application; if he will deal with the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47501/14]

Local Authority Finances

Clare Daly

194. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it has been drawn to his attention that section 136(2) of the Local Government Act 2001, as inserted by section 51 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, places an obligation on the chief executive of a council to prepare a monthly management report on the performance of their executive functions during the preceding calendar month; if it has been further drawn to his attention that in the case of Sligo County Council, in compliance with departmental guidelines, the council resolved that the management report should include details of major expenditure and income lines for each service division, including performance against figures provided in the adopted annual budget and against expected income and expenditure profiles; if he will provide details relating to the performance of the council's revenue collection levels including aged debt analysis; if he will provide details relating to recourse to the council's overdraft facility, number of days per month and interest incurred; if it has been drawn to his attention that the monthly management reports issued by the chief executive officer of Sligo County Council for October 2014 and for November 2014, did not include any of the above important information; if he will consider amending local government legislation to ensure the council executive provides such information to the elected council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47626/14]

Local Authority Management

Clare Daly

195. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it has been drawn to his attention that under section 134 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2014, in an election year, the local authority corporate plan must be prepared and brought before the council for consideration within six months of the annual general meeting, that is, by 6 December 2014 in the case of Sligo County Council; if has been further drawn to his attention that the Sligo County Council executive indicated to elected councillors that recent guidelines issued by his Department suggested that local authorities could extend the period for the preparation of the corporate plan; if his attention has been drawn to such guidelines; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council has not prepared a corporate plan; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that at its monthly meeting on 1 December 2014 the council unanimously adopted the following motion, "That this council, aware of its statutory and legal obligation to adopt its 2015-2019 corporate plan on or before 6 December 2014, hereby resolves to call on the chief executive to prepare the corporate plan in consultation with the corporate policy group, arrange a schedule of meetings for that purpose and provide such assistance as may be practicable to assist in the preparation of the corporate plan and in its consideration by the corporate policy group"; and to ensure the corporate plan is submitted to the elected council for approval without further delay; where a corporate plan is not prepared and submitted to the council in accordance with the Local Government Act 2001, the action that will be taken to ensure the corporate plan is prepared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47627/14]

Local Authority Finances

Clare Daly

196. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council has been incurring revenue deficits in its budget over the past six years and that the cumulative revenue debt stands at €19.67 million while the council's long-term debt is in excess of €120 million; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the assistant secretary of his Department in a letter to the chief executive of Sligo County Council dated 11 November 2014 highlighted the fact that legislation provides that a county council audit committee should have been in place within three months of polling date, by 23 August 2014 and that the audit committee should be made aware of the gravity of the council’s financial situation; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a council audit committee was eventually established at the monthly meeting of Sligo County Council on 1 December 2014; if his Department will now consider providing additional funding to the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47628/14]

Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme

Clare Daly

22. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will liaise with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to initiate an investigation into the sale of commercial property in 2013-14 by the trustees of the Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme; and the implications for the pensions of the members of the scheme. [47001/14]

Rent Supplement Scheme Payments

Clare Daly

33. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will increase rent supplement levels by 25% in the areas which have experienced the sharpest rise in homelessness as a result of rising rents. [47002/14]

Financial Services Regulation

Clare Daly

64. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 223 of 2 December 2014, the reason a ten year licence was provided to the company (details supplied), despite the fact that at a time the Financial Regulator had evidence of malpractice in their possession; and the avenue that is open to a citizen to pursue this further. [47373/14]

State Examinations Reviews

Clare Daly

150. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way teachers correcting their own students work will improve further the learning experience at second level and the educational rationale underpinning it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47429/14]

State Examinations Reviews

Clare Daly

151. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has costed the additional infrastructure needed for schools to store examination materials securely; if her Department has carried out a cost benefit analysis on the proposed changes to the junior certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47430/14]

Teacher Training Provision

Clare Daly

152. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to have resources and training to support the proposed changes in each subject area and that these resources are available to all schools in each educational sector so all our students will have equal opportunity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47431/14]

State Examinations Appeals

Clare Daly

153. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of appeals at junior certificate level in the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014. [47432/14]

State Examinations Reviews

Clare Daly

154. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the cost of the new junior certificate will be reduced from its current level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47433/14]

State Examinations Reviews

Clare Daly

155. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated financial saving from having teachers correct their own students work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47434/14]

Education and Training Boards Administration

Clare Daly

156. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the extended executive powers of chief executives of education and training boards; her further views on having so much power vested in one person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47435/14]

Education and Training Boards Administration

Clare Daly

157. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on circular letters and directives from her Department that may be interpreted differently by chief executives in the 16 education and training boards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47436/14]

National Monuments

Clare Daly

104. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 22 of 22 October 2014 if she will provide Dáil Éireann with an update on whether contact has been made between her Department and Fingal County Council and the landowners of Drumanagh Promontory, with a view to securing this protected monument in public ownership. [46776/14]

Animal Welfare

Clare Daly

113. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to improve the monitoring of coursing meetings by National Parks and Wildlife Service officers, in view of the fall in the numbers of such inspections and the lack of sufficient scrutiny of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46777/14]

Gender Recognition

Clare Daly

163. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure that the revised general scheme of the Gender Recognition Bill 2014 is amended, to remove the fact that the proposed criteria for 16 and 17 year olds to access the legislation requires parental consent letters from two physicians and a court order and that trans persons must be single in order to have their gender legally recognised. [47271/14]

Employment Rights

Clare Daly

202. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the procedural process of a claim made to the Labour Relations Commission in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 will be expedited in view of the fact the person making the claim is elderly. [47222/14]

Garda Operations

Clare Daly

263. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there are circumstances in which members of An Garda Síochána or the riot squad are entitled to be on duty without any forms of ID; and the actions citizens can take in those circumstances. [46886/14]

Garda Investigations

Clare Daly

276. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to improve responses from An Garda Síochána to reports made to them by the public regarding illegal stag hunting (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47256/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Clare Daly

295. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans to enable over 70s whose general practitioners are non-public sector to avail of free medical card and GP cover. [46740/14]

Child Care Services Provision

Clare Daly

321. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in home care in respect of children (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46973/14]

Child Care Services Provision

Clare Daly

322. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason there is a difficulty in children transitioning to the Health Service Executive for home care from a foundation (details supplied) despite the fact that a system seems to operate in other parts of the country [46974/14]

Child Care Services Provision

Clare Daly

323. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his views regarding the plans he has to allow a foundation (details supplied) to secure funding to enable them to look after children up to the age of six, rather than requiring them to transition to the Health Service Executive on reaching the age of four [46975/14]

Health Services Provision

Clare Daly

327. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that programmes run under the Health Service Executive, for example dialectical behaviour therapy, are conducted in a secular and non-religious manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46990/14]

Broadband Service Provision

Clare Daly

374. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason students attending courses run by Solas and the education and training board do not have access to the enhanced broadband deals through campus which are available to most other third level organisations; and her plans to deal with the matter. [46746/14]

Residential Institutions

Clare Daly

388. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to repeal section 28 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 as survivors believe it curtails their right to justice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46921/14]

Postal Services

Clare Daly

465. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to include the name Ireland on our postage stamps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47273/14]

Rail Services

Clare Daly

474. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason Iarnród Éireann has an excessively severe restriction policy (details supplied) regarding refunds; and if this is in breach of normal customer charters and best practice. [46764/14]

Wildlife Protection

Clare Daly

504. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will close off the loophole in existing legislation that is being exploited by the Ward Union Stag Union, to enable them to in effect hunt stags; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47258/14]

Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme

Clare Daly

15. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason he signed the ministerial order to enable the IAS scheme trustees to amend the terms of the scheme, despite the fact that many of the groups directly impacted by the changes had not agreed and were dissatisfied by the proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46312/14]

Transport Infrastructure

Clare Daly

34. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views regarding the second public consultation process regarding the Swiftway bus rapid transport from Swords and the airport to the city centre and the reason the advertisement process and method of making submissions was altered; if it would not be preferable to halt this process now and reconsider prioritising Metro North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46311/14]

Overseas Missions

Clare Daly

105. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 255 of 25 November 2014, if he will clarify the impression that the Defence Forces are considering sending soldiers to Afghanistan after 31 December 2014 and that those Defence Forces personnel will be directly involved in training Afghan soldiers, in view of such an exercise being inappropriate for Irish personnel to be involved with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46530/14]

Defence Forces Reorganisation

Clare Daly

106. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence when the White Paper is due; and his views on a merger of the coast guard and customs maritime sections with the Naval Service. [46532/14]

Defence Forces Review

Clare Daly

107. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence his plans to introduce a regular path to becoming a commissioned officer in view of the numbers of highly trained NCOs and skilled tradesmen; his views on whether it would make sense to select the best and keep these skills and motivate people to progress within the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46533/14]

Defence Forces Retirement Scheme

Clare Daly

108. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence if professional servicemen who have passed all medical and physical tests required of them are going to be retired under the post-1994 contact, and when a definitive response will be provided to them. [46534/14]

Defence Forces Retirement Scheme

Clare Daly

109. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence if he will take steps to critically examine and review the service history of all those personnel that are about to be discharged under the post-1994 contract with a view to seeing what internal Defence Forces courses could be offered to upskill these personnel prior to leaving. [46535/14]

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Investigations

Clare Daly

114. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she has referred the information brought to her attention in relation to invoices sent from OSSL to Shell and E and P Ireland on 24 August 2012 regarding deliveries of alcohol to gardaí, to tax and customs authorities for investigation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46539/14]

Disability Support Services

Clare Daly

143. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the use of a company (details supplied) by the Health Service Executive south and its involvement in disability services in County Waterford in terms of whether the contract was awarded by public tender; the terms of reference; his views that there is a conflict of interest involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46537/14]

Health Services

Clare Daly

144. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the manner in which investigations into the Health Service Executive and its service providers are being conducted by private companies at considerable expense; his plans to regulate this industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46538/14]

School Accommodation

Clare Daly

169. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that funding is provided for an extension to the staff room and principal's office in respect of a school (details supplied) in view of the fact that the facilities currently available there are in breach of workplace regulation. [46620/14]

Alternative Energy Projects

Clare Daly

191. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 10 and 13 of 23 October 2014 which indicate that of the indigenous wave energy developers, three are attempting to develop point absorber wave energy converter devices, three are working on attenuator devices, two on overtopping devices, four on oscillating water column devices and two on power take off, if a more rational use of the State's resources with a view to developing an Irish wave energy industry providing jobs for Irish workers, would be to purchase the useful intellectual property inherent in the various technologies, employ whatever proven expertise exists in these companies and direct the ESB to lead a development programme targeting the deployment of Irish wave energy conversion megawatt size devices offshore Ireland within ten years. [46598/14]

Property Tax Exemptions

Clare Daly

19. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance his views regarding the delay in implementing changes to the local property tax pyrite exemption, which he has acknowledged needs to be addressed, bearing in mind that the delay is causing significant stress for homeowners whose properties are worthless in the context that the Revenue Commissioners have been sending letters demanding payment in the past two weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45948/14]

VAT Rate Application

Clare Daly

27. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance his plans regarding the VAT Directive applicable only to multinationals, neutralising VAT between related companies, but providing a substantial cash flow advantage to multinational corporations competing in the same market place as small indigenous business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45947/14]

Irish Water Administration

Clare Daly

121. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of Irish Water registration packs that were returned with the personal public service number included prior to the introduction of the new measures on 19 November 2014. [46461/14]

Pyrite Remediation Programme

Clare Daly

129. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the emergence of pyrite in County Donegal and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, if he will bring forward legislation to amend the pyrite remediation scheme, in order that residents in these areas can be considered for inclusion. [45874/14]