Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Insurance Industry

John Halligan

144. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance in view of this Deputy's understanding that he is on record of Dáil Éireann stating that claims made against Setanta Insurance would be met by the Motor Insurers Bureau Ireland, if he will provide an explanation as to how it can be justified that genuine claimants are still being denied their court-awarded compensation and are currently caught in limbo; his views that this situation should no longer be permitted; if his opinion on this matter has changed; his Department's plans to ensure a situation of this nature is not permitted to happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27485/15]

Medical Card Applications

John Halligan

431. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of cases where general practitioners are not registering for the under sixes medical card scheme, their patients feel the need to register with an alternative general practitioner in order to obtain cover for their children and the patients are being charged upwards of €15 for the privilege of having their files transferred to the new general practitioner; his views as to whether this is an opportunistic charge; if he will raise the issue with the Irish Medical Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27675/15]

Pension Levy

John Halligan

73. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance when the Government will honour its commitment to reduce the 0.75% pension levy, given that the original levy introduced in 2006 at 0.6% and the increase of a further 0.15% in 2014 were both intended to be temporary measures; his views on whether the introduction of the levy has resulted in a vast reduction in the number of persons taking out private pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26555/15]

Beef Data Programme

John Halligan

119. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that farmers could end up with penalties of up to 140% of an annual payment under the beef data and genomics programme for failure to meet the 50% four to five star target, even though such failure could be completely outside their control and in reality be due to poor reliability figures from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation; if he will establish a scheme with a six-year contract which would result in a likely clawback of all payments for previous years where farmers decide to change their systems of farming due to income pressures and economic realities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26553/15]

Local Authority Housing Data

John Halligan

267. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government specifically relating to County Waterford in the years 2012 to 2014, under the relevant anti-social legislation, the number of cases of anti-social behaviour that have been dealt with; the number of persons who have been interviewed; the number who have been prosecuted; the number who have had previous complaints registered against them; if any of these tenants have been evicted as a result of their anti-social behaviour; if the current system is not working and frequently the victims of anti-social behaviour are being left in vulnerable positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26552/15]

Water Services Provision

John Halligan

268. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding private groups which have installed and maintained a private water supply, specifically a group water scheme which has been privately operated in County Waterford for over 40 years; if water conservation grants are being made available for groups such as these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26554/15]

Housing Provision

John Halligan

269. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason for the delay in approving the homes for the elderly scheme in Tramore, County Waterford; if he is aware of the case of persons (details supplied) who have been waiting to be relocated to housing for the elderly for over three years, who currently reside in a four-bedroom property under the rental accommodation scheme and who are eager to relocate to a two-bed bungalow, as they are finding it increasingly difficult to access the upper level of the property and to maintain the property; his views on whether the need for social housing in this area, it would be beneficial all round to have the elderly relocated as soon as possible, which would then free up rental accommodation scheme property for needy families in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26556/15]

Commission for Energy Regulation

John Halligan

275. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the date the Commission for Energy Regulation was established and under which Government; the annual cost to the State since its establishment; if he will provide a list of the directors since establishment and the length of their term; under what structure of authority does the commission operate; to whom is it accountable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26557/15]

National Pensions Reserve Fund Plans

John Halligan

120. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance if he and his Department have any immediate plans to restore the National Pensions Reserve Fund; the estimated cost of this restoration, and over what period of time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18266/15]

Housing Assistance Payments Administration

John Halligan

214. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views that the rent ceilings being imposed on persons in Waterford City and County are too low, and do not reflect the real cost of rent being paid by tenants (details supplied); if he will consider abolishing the rent ceilings, and introducing an incentive to landlords, in order to encourage them to take on tenants who wish to take part in the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme; and if he will increase payments under the Scheme to reflect the enormous cost of rent in Waterford City and County. [23974/15]

Local Authority Members' Remuneration

John Halligan

38. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on whether, based on the important work done at local level and the great commitment provided by local councillors throughout the country, those councillors who have no alternative source of income should be paid the equivalent of the average industrial wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18269/15]

Passport Applications

John Halligan

892. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason there is no dedicated Teachta Dála line available for urgent passport queries; his views that an Irish national applying for a passport through the embassy in Madrid should be eligible to have their passport issued within a reasonable timeframe; his further views that ten weeks is reasonable; and if he will make inquiries regarding a particular case as to the reason an application made by an Irish citizen (details supplied) for the renewal and re-issue of a passport was rejected. [21277/15]

Cancer Services Funding

John Halligan

3. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm for the people of County Waterford and the south east the reason access to prostate cancer services at University Hospital Waterford is significantly below the national average, with only 16.7% of attendees seen within the target of 20 working days in January 2015; if any man has been sent to a private hospital to cope with this backlog; if he is aware that 50% of new attendees at the hospital's prostate clinic had a subsequent diagnosis of prostate cancer in February 2015; if the promised additional consultant urologist appointments for the hospital have been filled to address capacity issues in the hospital; if not, when they will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20884/15]

Patient Data

John Halligan

6. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the reason the data relating to breast cancer patients at University Hospital Waterford for February 2015 was not available; if the breast cancer unit at UHW was fully staffed in the months January to April 2015; the percentage of people with symptomatic breast cancer that were seen within the two week target at UHW in January and February 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20785/15]

Hospital Services

John Halligan

21. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the reason the amount of day cases handled at University Hospital Waterford so far in 2015 is down 15% on the same period in 2014; the reason elective admissions at UHW are down 9% in the same period; if there are any plans to reopen the second operating theatre at the hospital which was closed in 2013/2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20784/15]

Hospital Waiting Lists

John Halligan

29. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adults in County Waterford that are awaiting assessment by a primary care occupational therapist; if he will provide in tabular form the length of time each of these children and adults have been waiting; the number of occupational therapist posts that currently exist in County Waterford’s public system; the number of these posts that are currently vacant; the number of additional posts that will be allocated nationally in 2015, and of these the number that will be allocated specifically to County Waterford in 2015; in relation to a specific case (details supplied) if he will clarify the way a child of five years of age who is currently being seen by the early intervention team will, following the child's sixth birthday, be assessed and receive eight weeks of treatment and then be placed on a waiting list for up to three years on the six to 18 age group bracket; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20787/15]

Accident and Emergency Departments Waiting Times

John Halligan

49. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the reason one in four patients requiring emergency hip fracture surgery at University Hospital Waterford in February 2015 had their procedure delayed for more than 48 hours; if he will provide specific details of the levels of trolley and waiting times in UHW's emergency department in February 2015; if he acknowledges that these patients were mainly elderly persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20786/15]

Hospital Waiting Lists

John Halligan

52. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an explanation for the delays at University Hospital Waterford that resulted in three persons waiting more than 28 days for an urgent colonoscopy in January 2015; the reason almost two thirds of patients at UHW who required a routine colonoscopy in 2015 were not seen within the target time of 13 weeks; the number of patients at UHW that were waiting longer than 12 months for a routine colonoscopy; the number that were waiting over two years; if the unit at UHW is fully staffed; if the roll-out of the national bowel cancer screening programme resulted in the lengthening of waiting lists in Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20788/15]

Palliative Care Services

John Halligan

113. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the percentage of patients in University Hospital Waterford provided with a specialist palliative care service in their place of residence within seven days of referral in each of the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the staff resources allocated to the provision of specialist palliative care service in the home in County Waterford; if additional resources have been allocated through the 2015 operational plan; when these will come on stream; the percentage of patients admitted to a specialist palliative care inpatient bed within seven days of referral in the hospital in each of the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the percentage of patients who received a specialist palliative care service in the community in County Waterford in the same years; if he will provide an update on the status of the new 20-bed palliative care unit to be situated on the grounds of the hospital; the way the construction of this new unit is to be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20885/15]

Ombudsman's Remit

John Halligan

69. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to extend the remit of the Ombudsman to investigate complaints regarding private nursing homes; when it is anticipated the changes in remit will come into effect; if the remit to investigate complaints will extend to retrospective complaints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20974/15]