Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Peace and Reconciliation Programme

Sandra McLellan

69. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the project that will benefit from Peace/INTERREG funds 2012/13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30942/13]

Human Rights Issues

Sandra McLellan

20. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to reports that the Laotian Government handed over nine refugees, who escaped from North Korea and fled to Laos, to the North Korean authorities and that this move has endangered the lives of these refugees; and if the Irish embassy in Hanoi, which is accredited to Laos, has discussed the issue with the Laotian Government. [30761/13]

Passport Applications

Sandra McLellan

33. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the campaigns his Department has undertaken to inform the general public of the new changes to the passport application service. [30781/13]

Ambulance Service Provision

Sandra McLellan

129. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the reconfiguration of ambulance and emergency services here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30401/13]

Accident and Emergency Departments Closures

Sandra McLellan

147. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will defer any decision on the cutting of accident and emergency services at Bantry General Hospital, County Cork, currently scheduled for 8 July, for a further 12 months until a full process of consultation with all relevant stakeholders, as outlined in the Future Care document, has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30400/13]

Insurance Costs

Sandra McLellan

68. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Finance the reason insurance companies have a minimum insurance value of €120,000 for house insurance on residential properties even though some properties are worth as little as €30,000 and buyers are forced to pay for insurance at €120,000; if insurance companies are permitted to do this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29804/13]

National Monuments

Sandra McLellan

144. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his views on the current state of the 1916 national monument at Moore Street-Moore Lane, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29907/13]

Abbey Theatre

Sandra McLellan

145. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide details of the various outreach initiatives, if any, that the Abbey Theatre engages in specifically in relation to primary and secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29909/13]

Abbey Theatre

Sandra McLellan

146. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide details of the outreach initiatives, if any, that the Abbey Theatre is involved in specifically in the inner city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29912/13]

Tourism Promotion

Sandra McLellan

147. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide details of the efforts he has made to promote and develop political tourism; his view of the potential to develop historical and contemporary political sites as a tourism product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29913/13]

Education Schemes

Sandra McLellan

148. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will consider amending the arts in education charter to include youth services in disadvantaged areas that cater for early school leavers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29914/13]

Comhairle na Tuaithe

Sandra McLellan

158. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the establishment of an access to the countryside advisory council and the appointment or designation of county council officials as access officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29911/13]

Local Authority Staff Issues

Sandra McLellan

166. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if officials of the Local Authority Arts Officers Representative Association, who work as local authority arts officers with Offaly County Council, are prohibited from meeting with elected representatives of Dáil Éireann to discuss local government arts policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29906/13]

General Practitioner Services

Sandra McLellan

231. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if newborn babies are covered by free general practitioner care for six weeks after birth; if this service covers Caredoc after hours services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29718/13]

Sports Funding

Sandra McLellan

269. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if submissions made by governing bodies of sporting organisations, in receipt of State funding, to the Irish Sports Council are available for public scrutiny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29908/13]

Public Transport Initiatives

Sandra McLellan

270. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans for an integrated transport system for the entire island of Ireland; the discussions or meetings he has had with his counterpart in Stormont on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29910/13]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Sandra McLellan

94. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason letters to schools with the following school year's allocation of resource hours cannot be issued by 15 May or 30 May when primary schools are required to submit applications for resource hours and-or special needs assistants to the National Council for Special Education by 15 March each year; if this delay is an attempt at dissuading principals from launching appeals by having the announcement as close as possible to the summer holidays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29470/13]

Education and Training Provision

Sandra McLellan

140. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that SOLAS develops an adult literacy and numeracy strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29035/13]

Medical Card Reviews

Sandra McLellan

503. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will re-instate medical cards for persons who have sought a review on refusals, as is done for appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28635/13]

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Remit

Sandra McLellan

28. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the recent calls by the Garda Representative Association for an independent policing authority here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28229/13]

Garda Complaints Procedures

Sandra McLellan

36. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is satisfied that the system within An Garda Síochána for receiving confidential complaints and expressions of concern is adequate following the experience of the two Garda whistleblowers who made allegations of malpractice in the fixed charge processing system. [28230/13]

NAMA Social Housing Provision

Sandra McLellan

61. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update in the delivery of the National Asset Management Agency social housing; the cost to date to the State; and the amount it is estimated that the return of each unit will cost local authorities when the leasing arrangement ends. [27056/13]

Carer's Allowance Delays

Sandra McLellan

417. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection the length of time it is currently taking for appeals on carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26896/13]

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Sandra McLellan

418. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will approve an expedite a carer's allowance appeal which was received by the appeals office in January for a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26897/13]

Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility

Sandra McLellan

459. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the current guidelines for entitlement to jobseeker's benefit, in particular where a person must suffer a substantial loss of employment to be eligible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27770/13]

Official Secrets Act

Sandra McLellan

716. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Official Secrets Act is still in use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27415/13]

Youth Services Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

867. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of money her Department has spent on arts provision for young persons in after school settings in 2012 and 2013; if she will provide details of the projects funded and the amount they received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27797/13]

Mobility Allowance Decision

Sandra McLellan

916. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the date on which the project review group report on mobility allowance will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27311/13]

North-South Implementation Bodies

Sandra McLellan

1109. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the work of the North South tourism body; if he will provide specific details of the joint initiatives and projects his Department is currently working on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27796/13]

Heritage Initiatives

Sandra McLellan

2. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a detailed progress report to date on the historic towns initiative pilot scheme; if he will provide a detailed report of its financial return in terms of heritage tourism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26102/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

26. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a detailed account of the amount of money spent by his Department on consultancy services and policy reviews in arts and heritage in 2012 and to date in 2013; if he will provide specific details on the way the money was spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26092/13]

Ambulance Service Provision

Sandra McLellan

294. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if any of the new intermediary care vehicles will be located in the east Cork area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26563/13]

Habitual Residency Conditions

Sandra McLellan

19. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will direct her Department to catalogue information on the number of returning Irish emigrants who applied for but were refused a social welfare payment on the basis of not fulfilling the habitual residency condition. [25719/13]

Public Sector Staff Retirements

Sandra McLellan

25. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she expects pesons who are forced to retire from the Civil Service at 65 years to claim jobseeker's benefit or allowance until they can receive the pension at 66 and 67 years. [25718/13]

Medical Card Appeals

Sandra McLellan

217. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the length of time it currently takes for medical card appeals to be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25988/13]

Medical Card Appeals

Sandra McLellan

236. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the reason it took from August 2012 until February 2013 for a person (details supplied) in Cork with a severe chronic illness to receive a decision on their medical card application; the reason that person was refused and was not considered on discretionary grounds in view of the fact that they suffer from Crohn's disease; if he will approve and expedite this person's appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26041/13]

Sports Capital Programme Eligibility

Sandra McLellan

260. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason funding was refused to Dublin City Council under the sports capital programme for work at Brickfields Park, Bushy Park, and St. Anne's Park when the Chief State Solicitor's office has confirmed that his Department is fully aware that the council's titles are capable of supporting a charge registered or unregistered title and, accordingly, are suitable for grants from the national lottery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26109/13]

Sports Council Funding

Sandra McLellan

261. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport in view of recent concerns regarding the financial situation of Irish hockey and the loss in excess of €200,000 that it made in 2008, if he will provide details of audits of the Irish Hockey Association that have been carried out by the Irish Sports Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26110/13]

Exchequer Returns

Sandra McLellan

103. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht what appropriations-in-aid spending will entail in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24861/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

104. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he envisages his Department retaining €210,000 from the EU Presidency through to 2014; if so, if he has already allocated the money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24862/13]

Departmental Staff Training

Sandra McLellan

105. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a breakdown of the expected training and development and incidental expenses with a list of the training and development courses he expects officers in his Department to undergo in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24863/13]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

106. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will set out by category and in detail a breakdown of the €124,000 estimated to be spent on consultancy services and value-for-money and policy reviews in the 2013 Estimates, an increase of 164% on the Estimates spend in 2012, providing detail of the additional spend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24864/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

107. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under the category of office premises expenses, if he will list the individual offices operated by his Department in the State alongside the expenses that they will incur in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24865/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

108. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a breakdown of the heritage spend by category of the €1.2 million estimated for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24866/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

109. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a breakdown of the estimated expenditure on heritage for 2013 by product and programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24867/13]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

227. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will set out by category and in detail a breakdown of the €799,000 estimated to be spent on consultancy services and value for money policy reviews in the 2013 Estimates; if he will explain the 41% increase in the estimates spend in 2012, providing detail of the additional spend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24851/13]

Departmental Policy Reviews

Sandra McLellan

228. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a list of policy reviews to be undertaken by his Department in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24852/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

229. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown by category of sports and recreation services estimated spend in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24853/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Sandra McLellan

230. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown by category of tourism services Estimates spend in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24854/13]

Exchequer Returns

Sandra McLellan

231. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will give details of what appropriations in aid spend will entail for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24855/13]