Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Jobseeker's Allowance Payments

Joe Higgins

74. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have had their jobseeker's benefit or allowance reduced or suspended for refusing to engage with labour activation schemes in the first half of 2013; and the number in the second half of 2013. [19741/14]

Jobseeker's Allowance Payments

Joe Higgins

75. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have had their jobseeker's benefit or allowance reduced or suspended this year to date for refusing to take part in JobBridge under the youth guarantee. [19742/14]

Jobseeker's Allowance Payments

Joe Higgins

76. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have had their jobseeker's benefit or allowance reduced or suspended for refusing to take part in the gateway scheme. [19743/14]

Employment Support Services

Joe Higgins

77. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of employers taking part in the JobBridge scheme that have been given a warning for giving participants in the scheme allowances for travel or food or any other expenses. [19744/14]

Tax Reliefs Cost

Joe Higgins

57. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the amount income tax relief on pensions cost the Exchequer in 2013; and the percentage of that total of relief benefit to each decile of earners from the highest to the lowest. [18762/14]

NAMA Portfolio

Joe Higgins

58. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the number of National Asset Management Agency-owned houses and apartments that exist in the four Dublin local authority areas. [18763/14]

Unfair Dismissals

Joe Higgins

255. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the average current waiting time for a person to have his or her case for unfair dismissal heard by the Employment Appeals Tribunal or the rights commissioner. [18765/14]

Unfair Dismissals

Joe Higgins

256. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in instances where findings are made by the Employment Appeal Tribunal or rights commissioner against employers resulting in compensation for unfair dismissal or orders to pay unpaid wages the rate of employer compliance with those findings and how often subsequent enforcement measures are required. [18766/14]

Industrial Relations

Joe Higgins

257. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of pension-related disputes involving employer attempts to close or alter defined benefit schemes currently before the Labour Relations Commission. [18767/14]

Defined Benefit Pension Schemes

Joe Higgins

279. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of defined benefit pension schemes currently in deficit and the amount. [18761/14]

Departmental Expenditure

Joe Higgins

309. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount her Department spent on the State pension in 2013. [18764/14]

Local Authority Housing Application Numbers

Joe Higgins

453. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons or families currently on the social housing waiting lists in the four Dublin local authorities and the number among them who have been on those waiting lists for five years or more. [18768/14]

Visa Applications

Joe Higgins

579. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if in the case of a visa applicant with a physical disability, if their physical disability is a consideration when assessing if the applicant has sufficient finances or when assessing if granting a visa may result in a cost to public funds and-or public resources. [19226/14]

NAMA Property Leases

Joe Higgins

60. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Finance when the National Asset Management Agency will be transferring the allocated properties at Clare Village, Malahide Road, to Túath Housing. [18306/14]

Health Services

Joe Higgins

238. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he has read the National Survey of Stroke Survivors 2013 published by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Irish Heart Foundation in April 2014; his views on the findings that 11% of stroke survivors requiring access to psychological services got access to them, half requiring access to speech and language therapy did not receive therapy, and one in three requiring physiotherapy received no therapy. [18352/14]

Health Services Provision

Joe Higgins

239. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the implementation of the national neurorehabilitation strategy; and report the number of extra community neurorehabilitation teams that have been put in place since the publication of the strategy. [18353/14]

Climate Change Policy

Joe Higgins

4. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the times the Cabinet committee on climate change and the green economy met in the past year. [7498/14]

Dublin Docklands Development Authority

Joe Higgins

412. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will instruct the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to resolve financial issues with a construction company (details supplied) in order that a small subcontractor who is owed €650,000 wiil be paid. [17587/14]

Ministerial Correspondence

Joe Higgins

479. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has received a request to meet a person (details supplied); and if he is willing to meet them to discuss the serious matters that they have raised. [17568/14]

Hospital Services

Joe Higgins

601. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will appoint a person (details supplied) from the Health Service Executive to discuss a matter with a person in County Wexford who suffers from an aggressive from of motor neuron disease and is in need of invasive ventilation. [17617/14]

Sale of State Assets

Joe Higgins

2. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the State assets that have been privatised under the terms of the troika memorandum of understanding; the funds that were realised by the State from these privatisations; where these funds have gone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16916/14]

Sale of State Assets

Joe Higgins

4. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the assets the Government intends to privatise under the terms of the troika memorandum of understanding; the estimated amounts to be realised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16917/14]

Haddington Road Agreement Review

Joe Higgins

5. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the implementation of the Haddington Road agreement. [16812/14]

Regional Development

Joe Higgins

8. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on his meeting with the delegation from the European Parliament's committee on regional development last month. [16814/14]

Ministerial Meetings

Joe Higgins

16. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on his visit to China and his meetings with Government officials and business leaders. [16815/14]

Civil Service Accountability

Joe Higgins

21. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the Civil Service accountability consultation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16813/14]

Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge

Joe Higgins

22. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the implementation of the 20 year strategy for the Irish language by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16816/14]

Back to Education Allowance Eligibility

Joe Higgins

55. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will make an assessment on the impact of the lack of availability of the back to education allowance for students training to be secondary teachers in view of the fact the course has the status of a masters level qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16872/14]

Back to Education Allowance Eligibility

Joe Higgins

97. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will revisit the criteria for the back to education allowance for students training to be secondary teachers in view of the fact that the qualification is now at masters level. [16871/14]

Child Abduction

Joe Higgins

132. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 437 of 11 February 2014, if he is concerned that a German court did not accept a court order from this State relating to the child abduction case as should be done in line with the Luxembourg Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16931/14]

Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration

Joe Higgins

382. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money spent on the rental accommodation scheme in each of the local authority areas from 2011 to 2014, inclusive. [16493/14]

Middle East Issues

Joe Higgins

4. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to Saudi Arabia and the meetings he had with Government officials there, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Crown Prince Salman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2212/14]

Middle East Issues

Joe Higgins

5. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to Qatar and the meetings he had with Government officials there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2213/14]

Middle East Issues

Joe Higgins

6. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates and his meetings with Government officials there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2214/14]

Neuro-Rehabilitation Services Provision

Joe Higgins

223. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health his views on the Neurological Alliance of Ireland's recently published nationwide survey, Living with a Neurological Condition in Ireland which shows the difficulties persons with neurological conditions have in accessing services and the difficulties faced following changes to benefits and entitlements. [14614/14]

Garda Deployment

Joe Higgins

144. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the way the community Garda service for the Hartstown, Huntstown, Blakestown and Mountview area of Dublin 15 will continue following recent redeployments of resources; and his views on the community Garda service for wider west Dublin area. [14412/14]

European Council Meetings

Joe Higgins

24. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the discussions he held during the European Council in December. [7492/14]

European Council Meetings

Joe Higgins

25. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on meetings he had with European Council leaders in December. [7493/14]

European Council Meetings

Joe Higgins

26. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he discussed the issue of the exit of the State from the troika with European Council leaders in the European Council meeting on 19 and 20 December; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7494/14]

Community Employment Schemes Places

Joe Higgins

483. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will reverse the cut that sees the loss of a community employment supervisor in the Community LYNKS drugs project, Inchicore, Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12925/14]

Special Protection Areas Designation

Joe Higgins

580. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his views on the potential impact on the European designated special protection area following the sale of five acres on the Merrion Road beside the Booterstown Nature Reserve in Dublin, known as the Ashe Castle site previously owned by the National Asset Management Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14124/14]

White Paper on Defence

Joe Higgins

828. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Defence the date on which the White Paper on Defence will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13482/14]

Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage

Joe Higgins

1135. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health if the drug Fampyra for multiple sclerosis will be available for patients through the public health service at no cost at the point of use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13764/14]

Irish Blood Transfusion Service

Joe Higgins

218. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health the number of blood donations that have not been used due to anonymous informants giving information on blood donors to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service [12349/14]

Irish Blood Transfusion Service

Joe Higgins

219. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health his views on the prohibition on blood donations from men who have had sex with men; if he will request the Irish Blood Transfusion Service to review this prohibition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12350/14]

Tax Code

Joe Higgins

80. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the number of PAYE workers that would not directly benefit from a raising of the level at which the top rate of income tax is raised. [11683/14]

Tax Code

Joe Higgins

81. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the number of PAYE workers that would benefit from the raising of the level at which they pay income tax at the top rate by €1,000 per annum, €2,000 per annum, €3,000 per annum, €4,000 per annum and €5,000 per annum; and the amount such a reduction in income tax at each of these levels would cost the Exchequer. [11684/14]

Deportation Orders Data

Joe Higgins

397. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the process in place for deportation orders that are issued in the post and are returned undelivered; and the number of deportation orders issued in 2011, 2012 and 2013 that were undelivered. [11550/14]

National Internship Scheme Administration

Joe Higgins

27. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if any Department or statutory body has been banned from making use of the JobBridge scheme. [10477/14]

National Internship Scheme Administration

Joe Higgins

41. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Members of the Oireachtas who employ persons under the JobBridge scheme either in their constituency offices or in companies they own; if she will provide the names of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10478/14]