Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Inland Fisheries Stocks

John Halligan

350. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to this Deputy's various recent questions and in view of the recent positive reports from Inland Fisheries Ireland, which has agreed that eel stocks in the Suir and Barrow rivers could sustain a commercial harvest (details supplied), if he will now reconsider the eel ban in the Waterford-New Ross district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6436/14]

Anti-Social Behaviour

John Halligan

382. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm the number of anti-social behaviour officers currently employed in counties and cities here; the cost to his Department of same in the past year; the number of successful prosecutions that have been brought before the courts in each county as a result of anti-social behaviour complaints; and of those the number of properties that were taken back into the housing pool; if he is satisfied that the system in place to deal with anti-social behavioural problems within local authority housing areas is working; if his Department has any current plans to make any alternative proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6435/14]

Hospital Waiting Lists

John Halligan

596. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm for the months, November 2013, December 2013 and January 2014, the number of persons that were left waiting on trolleys for more than12 hours prior to being given a bed; the way these figures compare to the same months in the preceding year; his views on whether the Health Service Executive is providing a sufficient level of care to the public here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6434/14]

City of Culture Initiative

John Halligan

5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the current selection process or nomination process involved in the selection of Ireland's city of culture; if he will consider granting Waterford the status of the next city of culture; the formal representations Waterford city would need to make to his Department in this regard; if he or his Department has thus far given any consideration to choosing the next city of culture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4342/14]

Appointments to State Boards

John Halligan

91. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to appoint a new chairman to the Arts Council; considering the vast investment that individual local authorities make to the arts in their respective local areas from their annual budget, which in most cases is way in excess of the sum they receive from the Arts Council, and further considering that these local authorities have been appointing arts officers for more than 25 years, his views on whether representatives of these local authorities should be appointed to the board of the Arts Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4388/14]

Hospitals Expenditure

John Halligan

685. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 219 of 5 December 2013, the exact breakdown on where the funds collected from parking facilities at Waterford Regional Hospital were allocated; if any of the funds were used to top-up salaries for executives associated with the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3621/14]

Job Creation

John Halligan

5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to outline the number of jobs created by IDA Ireland in County Waterford in 2013; the net increase or decrease in the number of jobs created in 2012; if he considers this figure to reflect a success under the target set out in the Horizon 2020 document for regional development, which aims for 50% of all jobs created through the IDA's dealings in 2013 to be located outside of Dublin and Cork; his plans to review the targets originally set out in the Horizon 2020 document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3181/14]

Illicit Trade in Tobacco

John Halligan

78. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance the number of illicit cigarettes that have been seized by the Revenue Commissioners and Garda in 2013; if this represents either an increase or decrease in the number of illicit cigarettes seized by the Customs Service since 2012; the inroads the Department has made in combating this issue; the level of funding allocated to stamping out the smuggling of illicit cigarettes into the State; his views on whether the Department and all other associated Departments and agencies involved in the tracking down and seizing of these goods are becoming more successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54665/13]

Family Income Supplement Payments

John Halligan

134. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 140 of 24 October 2013, in which this Deputy requested details of the number of public service workers currently supplementing their income with family income supplement payments, if she will provide a further breakdown the 3,595 public service workers in receipt of FIS in the year 2013; the number of same that are members of the armed forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54670/13]

Hospital Services

John Halligan

246. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health following on from various commitments and promises made to the people of Waterford in relation to the change of Waterford Regional Hospital to Waterford University Hospital as the proposed second largest hospital in the southern group, when WUH can expect to see a fulfilment of the guarantee of service given by him and his Department in the recent reconfiguration announcements, where 24-7 cardiology treatment was promised; when the necessary capital expenditure to provide and additional cath lab and a staff compliment of five cardiologists and allied supporting staff will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54666/13]

Hospital Services

John Halligan

247. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health where critical care capacity inadequacies have been acknowledge within Waterford University Hospital resulting in the regular cancellation of elective cancer surgeries due to the lack of critical care beds, when will the shortfall be addressed by his Department; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that WUH currently has one consultant gastroenterologist and only one colorectal surgeon on staff which is completely insufficient to meet the ongoing demand particularly where this hospital is to be a critical care centre; when the provision of additional critical care personnel will be sanctioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54667/13]

Hospital Services

John Halligan

248. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the level of support Waterford University Hospital can expect to receive from University College Cork in terms of further development of cancer services in Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54668/13]

Hospital Services

John Halligan

249. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health when the five promised professional academic posts will be filled in Waterford University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54669/13]

HSE Expenditure

John Halligan

272. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the cost to the State of Health Service Executive agency doctors at Waterford Regional Hospital in 2013; the cost in each of the years 2009 to 2012, inclusive; the average monthly cost of agency doctors at Waterford Regional Hospital in 2013; in comparison, the amount it would have cost the State to have these posts permanently filled during the same periods; his views on whether this is an economic use of State funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54739/13]

Defence Forces Equipment

John Halligan

5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Defence the number of drones purchased by the Irish Defence Forces over the past decade; the reason for their purchase; the cost of same; the level of usage these drones have seen; if these tracking devices have been made available to An Garda Síochána as an aid to its intelligence gathering agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52919/13]

Electricity Transmission Network

John Halligan

307. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he first became aware of certain proposals being made by EirGrid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52752/13]

Electricity Transmission Network

John Halligan

308. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the regular contact between his Department and EirGrid during the initial consultation period; if he is closely monitoring the outpouring of adverse public reaction to the EirGrid proposals, which have been seen across the country in the potentially affected areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52753/13]

Inland Fisheries Issues

John Halligan

309. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will address the ongoing concerns of many trout anglers, who are extremely concerned after being informed by the CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland that a compulsory angler registration charge is to be levied on every angler in Ireland as part of the new inland fisheries legislation (details supplied); when this charge will come into effect; the amount the charge will be; the way this charge will be monitored; and the amount of the revenue raised from this charge that will be put back into the development of the fishing industry. [52782/13]

Health Services Staff Remuneration

John Halligan

218. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if any person in either Waterford Regional Hospital or any other Health Service Executive operated institution within Waterford city and county has been in receipt of any top up payments similar to those currently being reported in the media; if so which institution; the member of staff that has received the top up payment; where the associated additional funds have come from; his views on officially appointed members of staff receiving top up payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52299/13]

Hospital Charges

John Halligan

219. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health regarding Waterford Regional Hospital car parking facilities, the amount annually that has been collected in the past five years from 2008 to 2012, inclusive; the person or company that operates the car parking facilities and where these funds are allocated; if they are reinvested in the hospital itself; if so, in which areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52300/13]