Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Community Employment Schemes Funding

Seán Haughey

295. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection to reverse the cuts to the community employment scheme at a community programme (details supplied) introduced in 2012 in respect of the training and materials budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16960/16]

Energy Prices

Seán Haughey

503. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the efforts he is making to bring about a reduction of electricity prices, having regard to the decreasing price of oil and gas internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16903/16]

Penalty Points System

Seán Haughey

545. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to reform the legislation which allows for the imposition of penalty points; his views on whether it is reasonable to double the penalty points for a motorist who loses an appeal to the courts; if he will introduce a system whereby both fine and penalty points are relinquished in the case of motorists who undertake a driver awareness course, as is the case in the UK and Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17164/16]

EU Membership

Seán Haughey

91. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach the preparations he is making to deal with a British exit from the European Union; the issues he needs to address; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15646/16]

Arts in Education Charter

Seán Haughey

204. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he is taking to promote arts education in schools; if he will implement the arts in education charter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15701/16]

Arts Funding

Seán Haughey

389. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to increase funding for the arts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15702/16]

Defined Benefit Pension Schemes

Seán Haughey

454. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health if he is concerned at the sudden termination of the privately funded pension plan in the Central Remedial Clinic in Clontarf, Dublin 3; if the Health Service Executive was consulted; if he will intervene on behalf of the employees concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15910/16]

Mortgage Lending

Seán Haughey

139. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Finance the measures he is taking to assist first-time buyers; if he is aware that some banks are insisting on a 20% deposit in the case of first-time buyers purchasing a one-bedroom apartment in the north Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14524/16]

Gaelscoil Issues

Seán Haughey

171. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the application by An Foras Pátrúnachta for a multidenominational Gaelscoil to serve the greater Drumcondra-Marino area in Dublin 1 was unsuccessful; if an appeal can be made in this regard and if he will reconsider this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14330/16]

Free Travel Scheme Review

Seán Haughey

292. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the age of eligibility for the free travel scheme to 67 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14331/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Seán Haughey

6. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health when the upward trend in waiting list and waiting times will be reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13802/16]

National Monuments

Seán Haughey

35. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her proposals in relation to the Moore Street site, Dublin 1, if these have been amended given the recent court judgment in relation to the site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13288/16]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Seán Haughey

37. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if changes to the payment of allowances to newly recruited firefighters have implications for other public servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13043/16]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Seán Haughey

305. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans for Montessori teaching; if he will retain regulation 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12968/16]

Disability Allowance Applications

Seán Haughey

472. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will pay a disability allowance to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 17; the reason this person was previously refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12966/16]

Greyhound Industry

Seán Haughey

785. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will take measures to prevent the export of greyhounds to China given the conditions that they must endure there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12819/16]

Legislative Programme

Seán Haughey

42. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to promote and enact the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12322/16]

Tax Reliefs Availability

Seán Haughey

82. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Finance the tax relief and allowances in place for persons employing au pairs given that the contracts are deemed to be normal contracts of employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12486/16]

Middle East Issues

Seán Haughey

142. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to press for the persecution of Christians and other minorities in the Middle East to be formally declared as genocide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12320/16]

Alcohol Sales Legislation

Seán Haughey

191. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health his plans to promote the enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12321/16]

Child Care Costs

Seán Haughey

261. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is concerned at the recent decision of the Workplace Relations Commission on au pairs confirming that these are normal contracts of employment; if this will have a detrimental effect on the provision of child care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12485/16]

Child Benefit Data

Seán Haughey

125. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of child benefit paid in respect of children living outside the European Union area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10987/16]

Mortgage Interest Rates

Seán Haughey

42. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Finance to ensure that persons on existing variable interest rate mortgages can receive reductions in their interest rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10789/16]

Paternity Leave

Seán Haughey

104. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she will introduce paternity leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9372/16]

Prison Staff

Seán Haughey

108. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Prison Service will recruit staff in the near future and the procedures to be used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9832/16]

Garda Station Refurbishment

Seán Haughey

137. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of refurbishing or upgrading equipment in Malahide, Howth and Raheny Garda stations in each of the years 2013 to 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10437/16]

Garda Training

Seán Haughey

138. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of members of An Garda Síochána who participated in the advanced driving courses in each of the years 2014 to 2016 to date; when the next course will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10438/16]

Tax Reliefs Costs

Seán Haughey

218. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Finance the cost of the rent-a-room relief scheme after the income limit was increased from €12,000 to €13,750; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10440/16]

Motor Tax Yield

Seán Haughey

425. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the revenue he raises from motor taxation; how much of this revenue goes to Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9833/16]

Social Welfare Benefits Expenditure

Seán Haughey

552. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the carer's support grant from €1,700 per year to €2,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10434/16]

Public Sector Staff Recruitment

Seán Haughey

607. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the next open competition for the post of assistant principal officer in the Civil Service will be held; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10436/16]

Hospital Consultant Recruitment

Seán Haughey

890. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health his plans to appoint additional consultant paediatrician rheumatologists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10441/16]

Animal Welfare

Seán Haughey

1039. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the legislative and other measures he is taking to prevent the neglect and cruelty to horses and donkeys, particularly regarding the breeding, sale and ownership of these animals; if he will consider closing places such as the Smithfield Market and setting up sanctuaries for rescued horses and donkeys; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10101/16]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Seán Haughey

1087. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures he is taking to ensure that fibre broadband is available throughout north County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9639/16]

Road Traffic Legislation

Seán Haughey

1118. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will introduce legislation to control the use of rickshaws in urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10433/16]

Rail Services Provision

Seán Haughey

1148. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will contact the chief executive officer of Iarnród Éireann requesting that the number of carriages on the 8.03 am train from Newbridge to Heuston Station, Dublin, be increased from three to five; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10439/16]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Seán Haughey

1211. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of providing an extra 1,500 extra places on the community child care subvention programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10435/16]

Defence Forces Recruitment

Seán Haughey

44. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Defence to extend the deadline for recruitment into the Defence Forces from 22 May to 1 June 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9251/16]

Defence Forces Recruitment

Seán Haughey

45. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Defence to extend the age limit for recruitment into the Army from 25 years of age to 27 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9252/16]

Garda Transport Provision

Seán Haughey

55. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality to provide funding for the purchase of extra Garda Síochána command and control vehicles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9253/16]

Garda Transport Expenditure

Seán Haughey

56. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the contract for the supply of fuel to the fleet of An Garda Síochána was last put out to tender; the length of time the contract was awarded for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9254/16]

Consular Services Staff

Seán Haughey

98. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff currently working in the Irish embassies in Brazil, Cyprus, India, Turkey and United Arab Emirates, by grade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9255/16]

Public Transport Provision

Seán Haughey

145. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the National Transport Authority will provide funding to purchase extra buses for the fleet of Dublin Bus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9256/16]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Seán Haughey

134. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to reform the early childhood care and education scheme; if he will make the conditions of the scheme more flexible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9013/16]

Assisted Human Reproduction Services Provision

Seán Haughey

176. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health if he will provide fertility treatment for couples free of charge on the first occasion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9012/16]

Housing Estates

Seán Haughey

301. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if all sections of the Planning and Development Act 2000 have been brought into force, particularly the sections dealing with the taking in charge of estates by local authorities including section 180; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9011/16]

Wildlife Conservation

Seán Haughey

347. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures she has taken and the funding she has provided to conserve and manage red grouse; if funding is provided to voluntary organisations for these purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9014/16]

State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility

Seán Haughey

86. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will award the full rate of payment to new applicants for the State pension (contributory); the significance of the 6 April 2012 date in this regard; if the homemaker's scheme introduced in 1994 is relevant to cases; her plans to move from an average contributions test to a total contributions approach; if she will backdate homemaker's credits to allow more claimants to obtain a full rate of payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8431/16]

Disability Allowance Eligibility

Seán Haughey

87. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why claimants under the disability allowance scheme receive the same rate of payment as claimants under the jobseeker's allowance scheme who are over 25 years of age; if persons on disability allowance have greater difficulties and expenses and her plans to increase the rate of payment under this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8434/16]

Social Welfare Benefits

Seán Haughey

88. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the benefits and supports available for carers and if she will extend these; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8435/16]