Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Social Welfare Code

John Halligan

79. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection when local government employees reach the age of 65 and are required to retire and make application to her Department for jobseeker's allowance, if the obligation to make themselves available for work will be strictly imposed; if these persons will be means tested as per the usual procedure after the allotted nine months or so on the payment; her views on whether this is an economic use of funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51151/13]

Local Authority Staff

John Halligan

97. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the rationale behind imposing an obligation on local government employees to retire at the age of 65 without the option of working on until they reach the pensionable age of 66; his views that it is an extraordinary situation where these people are being forced to retire, leaving an already stretched local government with an even greater staffing shortage as under the moratorium these positions will not be filled while at the same time adding additional obligations onto the Department of Social Protection as these people will be forced to make applications for jobseeker's allowance; if he will commit to looking into the possibility of permitting those affected to extend their service up to the age of 66 and allow them to make a valid contribution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51152/13]

Crime Data

John Halligan

118. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons that were put off the road for drunk driving offences under the Intoxicating Liquor Act over the past five years, 2008 to 2012, inclusive; the number of these persons that have since re-offended and have once again been put off the road for similar offences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51150/13]

Haddington Road Agreement Savings

John Halligan

122. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that after all the deductions and restitution due under the Haddington Road agreement there will still be a permanent gap of 7.5% between pre and post-2011 teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42443/13]

Jobs Initiative

John Halligan

295. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has any statistics regarding the age of persons who are currently managing to gain employment and remove themselves from the live register; those taking up work placement schemes either through JobBridge, Tús or similar such schemes; if she will acknowledge that in the current climate there are additional obstacles put in place where a person who is making job applications is of a certain age; her plans to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49311/13]

Public Private Partnerships Cost

John Halligan

732. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will clarify the reason the Government will pay in the region of €10 million in subsidies over the next decade to a Spanish company (details supplied) and its operating concessionary partner for tolls generated on the M3 motorway and also the Limerick motorway in view of the deplorable state of the roads here, particularly rural roads; the steps he intends to take to renegotiate the current contracts held with the companies concerned as the Portuguese Government has recently done; his views on whether the outlay could be easily redirected to address road surfacing issues throughout the country; if his Department is looking into the possibility of renegotiating these contracts; if so, the steps that have been taken to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49312/13]

Hospital Services

John Halligan

3. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the current moratorium on recruitment within the Health Service Executive is negatively impacting on the provision of services across the spectrum and it is only a matter of time before the entire service is irreparably damaged; if the Health Information and Quality Authority has given its recommendations for minimum requirements regarding staffing levels; if he will make them available; his views on whether it is unacceptable that in a centre of excellence such as Waterford Regional Hospital the orthopaedic department has at times been running at less than 50% capacity with at least three of the surgical posts being unfilled which is exacerbating an already overstretched service and is resulting in waiting times escalating to years rather than months; if he will acknowledge that the orthopaedic department in Waterford Regional Hospital is now forced to set aside what are considered to be elective surgeries, although they are essential, as it does not have the capacity to maintain a full schedule for both inpatient and outpatient procedures; if he will make a firm commitment to review the moratorium and the effects it is having with a view to lifting the restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48347/13]

Medical Card Eligibility

John Halligan

5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the situation whereby in assessing income for eligibility of a medical card, persons aged over 70 years are assessed on gross income but persons aged under 70 years are assessed on net income; his plans to rectify same and assess income based on net income for all applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48353/13]

International Relations

John Halligan

50. Deputy John Halligan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has intervened with the Egyptian Government to demand the release of four Irish citizens who are being held in an Egyptian prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47710/13]

Child Protection

John Halligan

299. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criminal concerns the Garda had, as distinct from child protection concerns, in the case of the seven year old child taken from a Roma family in Tallaght; if it is criminal concerns that explains the removal of the child from the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47712/13]

Racial Profiling

John Halligan

300. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the way racial profiling is used in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47713/13]

Salmon Hardship Scheme

John Halligan

625. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 167 of 17 July 2013, in view of the fact that both the eel and salmon fisheries in Ireland were suspended without any form of compensation or diversification being offered which resulted in recent tragedies where affected fishermen were forced to take greater risks making a living at sea in inadequate boats in order to support their families, if he will consider putting in place a set aside payment package for those fishermen interested in continuing to fish and a buyout package for those fishermen who wish to exit the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46736/13]

Salmon Hardship Scheme

John Halligan

626. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his view's that traditional commercial fishing is an important part of the heritage of rural life and is a tradition which stretches back generations over hundreds of years; his views that it is essential that we retain and pass on this heritage which is vital to the conservation of the traditions in rural fishing communities here; if he will consider re-opening the eel commercial fisheries on a pilot scheme as has been done on salmon rivers as a means to preserve these traditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46737/13]

Connemara Oil Field

John Halligan

22. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide the details of an oil find by Statoil in 1997 in the Connemara field; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45049/13]

Property Taxation Collection

John Halligan

73. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance in relation to the local property tax, if he will confirm since its collection the percentage of those persons considered to be the responsible person who have registered for the tax; the percentage who have actually made arrangements to pay the tax; if he will confirm the figure that has been collected to date per county; of the figure collected, the amount that has been distributed to the relevant local authority; the amount that has been retained by the Exchequer of the figure collected; the amount that has been allocated to paying off the national debt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45472/13]

Family Income Supplement Application Numbers

John Halligan

140. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of public service workers who are currently supplementing their income with family income supplement; the number of those public service workers currently with applications awaiting approval; her views on whether, in certain cases, the reduction of public service hours in an effort save money on wages has put an additional burden on her Department, specifically in respect of family income supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45474/13]

Electricity Transmission Network

John Halligan

156. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the input his Department has had in the choosing of the areas where EirGrid are currently proposing to erect pylons within Ireland; if other options were considered, that is underground lines or lines at sea; the agreements that have been made between his Department and EirGrid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45475/13]

Electricity Transmission Network

John Halligan

157. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether there may be a conflict of interest on the part of the consulting engineering company (details supplied) that EirGrid has employed to advise them on the selection of what they call the least constrained corridor in view of the fact that this company has also been employed by Tipperary County Council and a decision there could greatly impact on any decision made in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45476/13]

Electromagnetic Fields Studies

John Halligan

173. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to any research having been carried out in Ireland or the EU in relation to the impact pylons have on a person's health; his views on whether these pylons may trigger cancer cells to develop; if the World Health Organisation have made any assessment on the health effects of pylons to persons living within close proximity to these pylons; his views on whether the erection of pylons will have a detrimental effect on those living in the surrounding areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45477/13]

Defence Forces Medals

John Halligan

206. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Defence following on from the plan in 2006 to issue replacement certificates to the families of the military veterans of 1916 and the War of Independence, his plans to issue replacement medals to the families of those servicemen prior to the celebration of the 100-year anniversary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45473/13]