Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Labour Activation Measures

Bríd Smith

524. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection why Ireland is the only country in Europe to exclude persons with disabilities from mainstream activation programmes. [10125/16]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

107. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if, In view of the serious moves and threats recently made by Irish Rail to seek an court injunction against both NBRU and SIPTU over the introduction of new rosters and schedules he or his officials were aware prior to this threat being issued that Irish Rail would proceed in this manner; if he or his officials met with or discussed this threatened legal action with Irish Rail management; if he is aware that this move is viewed most seriously by a wide spectrum of the trade union movement as a fundamental breach with normal industrial relations procedures which has the potential to lead to a very serious dispute and is seen as another attempt to use the courts to discipline workers engaged in legitimate and legal action; and if he will assure Dáil Éireann that he has neither encouraged Irish Rail in this drastic action nor supports moves which seek to criminalise or hamper the workings of trade unions in rightfully seeking to represent their members interests. [8521/16]

Debt Restructuring

Bríd Smith

109. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance to seek clarification from a bank (details supplied) as to the way in which it intends to conduct a sale of credit card debt of small and medium enterprises in County Dublin in the near future; to whom invitations are issued to partake in this sale; the discount the bank is offering for the purchase of the debt portfolios; and if he will consider purchasing these portfolios in order to alleviate the negative impact that this sale could have on local businesses and jobs. [8368/16]

Primary Care Centres Data

Bríd Smith

332. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of primary care centres that are fully operational; the number that are under construction or nearing completion; and the number that are planned but have not yet commenced construction. [8403/16]

Primary Care Centres

Bríd Smith

333. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of primary care networks currently operational; and the annual cost of operating a primary care network. [8404/16]

Broadband Service Provision

Bríd Smith

464. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to encourage broadband providers in County Dublin to urgently deal with the lack of adequate broadband provision in the Drimnagh and Inchicore areas and to establish when provision will come on stream. [8271/16]

Visa Applications

Bríd Smith

247. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for a visa extension for persons (details supplied). [7795/16]

Patient Transport

Bríd Smith

364. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the financial supports or subsidies available to outpatients who are in receipt of social protection benefit and are unable to access bus, train or other public transport services to attend hospital appointments and are therefore forced to use taxi services and incur considerable expenses; if there was a support system in place in the past; if that system was deferred and if and when there are plans to reinstate a system of financial support; and if patients can claim back payment for taxis to outpatients appointments. [7790/16]

Consular Services Provision

Bríd Smith

375. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a person (details supplied) including the person's condition and health. [7791/16]

Homeless Accommodation Provision

Bríd Smith

490. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for an explanation for the doubling of the cost of providing temporary homes, modular homes and rapid build homes for those in hotel accommodation. [7792/16]

Homeless Accommodation Provision

Bríd Smith

491. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the strategy for moving families from rapid build housing to permanent accommodation, given that there are no plans to build any significant amount of social housing to allow families move on. [7793/16]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

527. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has or will meet with officials of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, given the seriousness of the Luas dispute. [7796/16]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

528. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport given that Transdev Ireland has repatriated almost €10 million in profits back to the parent company in France from the Luas operation since 2009, and considering that Transport Infrastructure Ireland and its predecessor, the Railway Procurement Agency, have boasted of the success of Luas and its role in helping the agencies post profits, if this does not highlight the need for Transport Infrastructure Ireland to immediately negotiate with Transdev Ireland with a view to insuring that Luas workers achieve a just settlement of their dispute. [7797/16]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

529. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of plans by Transdev to issue protective notice to Luas workers, given the ongoing dispute, and that in a letter from the company, the employment of the workers was drawn into question if they continued to engage in strike action; his views that the right to strike and collective bargaining are effectively being challenged in this correspondence from Transdev. [7798/16]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

530. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his role and that of Transport Infrastructure Ireland regarding Transdev's actions and if Transport Infrastructure Ireland was made aware of Transdev's stance with regard to workers prior to its public announcement. [7799/16]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

531. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware that one of main stumbling blocks to the acceptance of the Workplace Relations Commission proposals in the Transdev dispute was the clause to significantly worsen the pay and conditions for new drivers; his views regarding this proposal, given that current workers' starting salaries are below the average industrial wage and that such workers would have trouble renting homes or taking out mortgages in the Dublin area. [7800/16]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

532. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport why the current contract between Transdev Ireland and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, previously Railway Procurement Agency, did not contain any provision for a new wage agreement with the Luas workforce; if he and Transport Infrastructure Ireland were aware at the time of the awarding of this contract that Luas workers like most of the country’s workers had not had a wage increase in many years and had in fact being seeking negotiations with Transdev over pay and conditions. [7801/16]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

533. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware or concerned that while Transdev ignored the attempts of their workers to negotiate such a claim, that the State's agencies, both Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority, were deciding to award the Luas contract to Transdev; given this, his views that claims by him and the agencies that they have no role in this dispute are spurious and that the awarding of this contract was premised on effectively freezing out the workers who operate the system and excluding them for advancing legitimate attempts to improve their pay and conditions. [7802/16]