Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Palliative Care Services

John Halligan

354. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the progress of the provision of services in the palliative care unit in University Hospital Waterford; the timeframe of the progression to date; when he expects the unit will be operational and offering vital services to the local community in the south east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36622/14]

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

John Halligan

59. Deputy John Halligan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on whether in certain circumstances where an applicant is marginally in excess of the income guidelines it may be unfair for the means assessed against them to be applied across the board to each application in isolation resulting in the applicant not being entitled to any of the payments whereas a person marginally below the income guidelines where the same criteria are applied would be entitled to all forms of assistance; her views on whether it is time to review the means assessment guidelines with a view to assessing an applicant's overall social welfare requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36433/14]

VAT Rate Reductions

John Halligan

88. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance his views on the increasing popularity of both social and popular media and that the print media sector in general have been coming under more and more pressure of late as the availability of free news items has adversely affected their trade (details supplied); his further views that this sector has benefitted greatly from the reduced VAT rate of 9% and that it is essential for its survival, particularly the survival of the smaller family run print businesses that this reduced rate remain in place for the forceable future; if he will not increase the VAT rate in the upcoming budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36431/14]

Services for People with Disabilities

John Halligan

172. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the level of funding which is being made available for residential placement in County Waterford; if it is acceptable for a parent now entering their 70th year to wait nine years for a residential placement for their son in view of the fact that their health is now failing and that their son has apparently been on a prioritised waiting list for the duration of this period; if he will acknowledge the serious shortfall within this sector of his Department and recognise the unacceptable position this person has been forced into; if he will now commit to calling for a full review by his Department of procedures and funding availability within this sector of his Department and if he will make the necessary funding available in order for this person's son to be adequately accommodated within the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36434/14]

Water Charges Administration

John Halligan

269. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will, in the context of water charges, consider making an additional allowance available to families who care for a family member on a full-time basis but do not, for various reasons, meet the criteria for a formal carer's allowance payment; if he will acknowledge that there are many such families struggling to maintain a family life for their children while caring for an elderly or infirm relative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36432/14]

Water Supply Contamination

John Halligan

270. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the percentage of lead piping within residential properties situated in Waterford city and county; if it will be part of the metering contract to replace any existing lead piping, particularly where the property is owned by the local authority; where it is acknowledged by the local authority that lead piping is in existence within a property and the solution put forward by it to the resident is to flush the cold water tap prior to use, filling the kitchen sink and discarding flushing of 20 to 30 litres, on average, of unused water, perhaps as often as three to four times per day, if he will be offering an additional usage allowance for these families (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36435/14]

Services for People with Disabilities

John Halligan

452. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the cuts to funding for the Irish Deaf Society will be reinstated; if he and his Department aware of the impact these cuts are having on the deaf community; if he is considering reviewing the funding they receive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30973/14]

Corporate Tax Compliance

John Halligan

139. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance the amount of corporation tax a company (details supplied) in County Waterford has paid to the State in the past five years; the percentage of its overall profit this represents; if he will provide a full year-by-year breakdown; his views on whether corporation tax has been paid at the correct level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28273/14]

State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility

John Halligan

242. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will look into the case of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; the methodology used by her Department in the calculation of notional income in respect of adult dependant applications for old age pensions; if she will acknowledge that the method of calculation currently used is flawed and generally does not represent a true reflection of an applicant's notional income for the purposes of assessment; if she will commit to having the shortfalls in the methodology assessed to ascertain if there would be a better process that could be followed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28274/14]

Anti-Social Behaviour

John Halligan

325. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 382 of 11 February 2014, in strengthening the powers given to local authorities to deal with instances of anti-social behaviour the way this will impact on the day-to-day administration within housing offices across the country; his views on how effective or ineffective current measures are; the powers that will be given to the local authorities; the estimated time frame for the delivery of these strengthened powers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28271/14]

Traveller Community

John Halligan

326. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 689 of 25 March 2014, if he will ring-fence Traveller funds to ensure they will be used to fund Traveller projects; if he will confirm the NTP will be able to draw down this money for local Traveller organisations; his views that without local Traveller-led projects Travellers will be further marginalised; if he will acknowledge that it is vital that the community development work which has taken place of the last number of years is not lost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28272/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

John Halligan

535. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if, as per his announcement recently that all discretionary medical cards removed under review since June, 2011 will be reinstated, if his instructions have been formally forwarded to PCRS as they seem to be unaware of how and when this process will commence; the process involved; if some discretionary cards will not be reinstated; if not the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28275/14]

Airport Development Projects

John Halligan

3. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update regarding the €400,000 grant which his Department pledged towards a €150 million extension of the runway at Waterford Airport last August, subject to the airport itself raising a further €850,000 through private sources and local authorities; if all necessary moneys have now been raised to allow work to proceed; if the departmental grant of €400,000 has already been drawn down, and used for the compulsory purchase order of 18 acres of land required to facilitate the extension; the timeframe in which he expects the extension works to be completed; what will happen to the departmental grant if the €850,000 is not raised by the airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27416/14]

Tourism Promotion

John Halligan

20. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on an official Fáilte Ireland tour map (details supplied) which is widely distributed to American holiday makers travelling here; his views on whether the people of the south east of Ireland, in particular County Waterford, are adequately represented by this: if he will make a commitment to directing Fáilte Ireland to include Waterford in any further publication of this nature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27379/14]

Sports Capital Programme Application Numbers

John Halligan

23. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of applications received by his Department this year under the sports capital grants scheme; if he will indicate the timescale for completion of the application process; when he expects to be in a position to confirm the applications that have been deemed successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27378/14]

The Gathering Revenue

John Halligan

31. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the success of The Gathering 2013 in terms of tourism generated and the promotion of Ireland to the world; the amount of Government funding allocated to the promotion of The Gathering 2013; the estimated revenue directly generated as a result of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27377/14]

Public Transport

John Halligan

219. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the recent widespread opposition to proposals to privatise Bus Éireann, if the National Transport Authority has begun a consultation process with the trade unions, as the Minister previously indicated it would; his views that the current Government policy of tendering out 10% of Bus Éireann has disproportionately targeted Waterford where 100% of the city's services are being hived off to the private sector at the expense of the travelling public and staff; his views that by targeting Waterford city there is a real risk due to economies of scale of the entire Bus Éireann operation at Waterford being lost, resulting in yet more job losses which the city could not sustain and a depleted service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27417/14]

Proposed Legislation

John Halligan

76. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will support legislation to introduce new rules, protocols and rules of disclosure in cases of medical negligence at birth, to avert the enormous stress and lengthy litigation being brought upon families who take such cases and to ensure that they receive money at an early stage, when it is most needed for their child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21354/14]

Community Development Initiatives

John Halligan

390. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government following on from the recent announcement by him that the proposed social inclusion community activation programme will replace the current community development programme, if he will consider permitting national organisations tender for work as this may have a detrimental effect on local community groups who currently operate on a national collective level; alternatively if he will commit to ring fencing funding locally for groups at a level at which they have been operating successfully under the community development programmes for the past number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27204/14]

Hospital Facilities

John Halligan

535. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the reason University Hospital Waterford is one of only very few hospitals in Ireland which do not have a designated play area for the paediatrics unit in the hospital. [26655/14]