Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Garda Career Breaks

Pearse Doherty

26. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí on career breaks; the number of gardaí due to begin career breaks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6007/13]

Proposed Legislation

Pearse Doherty

30. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the date on which he will publish legislative proposals to enhance the protection of children against sexual abuse and exploitation, including grooming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6006/13]

NAMA Social Housing Provision

Pearse Doherty

193. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the delivery of the National Asset Management Agency housing for social lease, including units that have been identified but now excluded, units ready for occupation, occupied units and vacant units which are suitable for occupation. [5551/13]

Local Government Reform

Pearse Doherty

207. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the progress made in the devolution of functions from central to local government; the contact and responses, if any, he has had with other Departments; and the timeframe for devolution. [5409/13]

Departmental Properties

Pearse Doherty

241. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if a piece of land in Dublin 20 (details supplied) is currently under the control of his Department. [5287/13]

Tax Reliefs Cost

Pearse Doherty

243. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance following a news report on Sunday 27 January that a company (details supplied) paid no tax here despite €57 million in revenues in its most recent financial year and a net profit, because of a series of facilitating tax allowances, if he will list the number of companies by name which are currently operational or headquartered here but are paying no tax to the Irish Exchequer. [5290/13]

Sale of State Assets

Pearse Doherty

244. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the process adopted by him to sell Irish Life which has been purchased by the State for €1.3bn; the key dates in the selling process; the providers of any services to the State to facilitate the sale; the way the State can be satisfied that it will obtain the maximum price from the sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5291/13]

State Banking Sector

Pearse Doherty

245. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the most recent valuation of the State’s stake in Irish Life; the date on which the valuation was undertaken; if any persons outside his Department assisted in the valuation; and if so, the names of same and the quantum of any fees paid for any external valuation. [5292/13]

Sale of State Assets

Pearse Doherty

246. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the personnel responsible for negotiating on behalf of the State the sale of Irish Life, and if he will list their relevant qualifications and experience. [5293/13]

Departmental Staff Redeployment

Pearse Doherty

247. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the safeguards that exist to prevent staff in his Department involved in the sale of Irish Life, moving to work for the new buyer of Irish Life. [5294/13]

Bank Guarantee Scheme Losses

Pearse Doherty

248. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will set out in tabular form the list of legal actions initiated by the holders of subordinated or senior bonds in the covered banks; the date the action was initiated; the identity of the applicant or applicants; the identity of the respondent and the jurisdiction in which the action has been initiated. [5295/13]

European Financial Stability Facility

Pearse Doherty

249. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to his statement on 21 January 2013, that, in relation to proposals apparently made at the recent Ecofin and Eurogroup meetings we are not talking about hundreds of millions, we are talking about savings of a certain amount of billions, if he will outline an illustrative calculation which would indicate how billions might be saved. [5296/13]

NAMA Transactions

Pearse Doherty

250. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the amount of state aid paid by the National Asset Management Agency in its acquisition of €10 billion par value loans at Bank of Ireland for €6.1 billion. [5297/13]

Hidden Economy Monitoring Group Issues

Pearse Doherty

251. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 50 of 4 October 2012, if he will name the members of the hidden economy monitoring group and to provide details of the remuneration and expenses for each member. [5312/13]

Hidden Economy Monitoring Group Issues

Pearse Doherty

252. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the number of times the hidden economy monitoring group has met. [5313/13]

Hidden Economy Monitoring Group Issues

Pearse Doherty

253. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the terms of reference for the hidden economy monitoring group; to whom they report, in what form and at how regularly. [5314/13]

Banking Licence Breaches

Pearse Doherty

271. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 275 of 29 January 2013, if he will outline the nature of the breach or breaches referred to. [5613/13]

Banking Licence Breaches

Pearse Doherty

272. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 275 of 29 January 2013, if he will confirm the number of banks in the State operating under licences granted by the Central Bank of Ireland, that have been in breach of the terms of their banking licence since 1 January 2012. [5614/13]

Banking Licence Breaches

Pearse Doherty

273. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 275 of 29 January 2013, if he will confirm when the Central Bank of Ireland first became aware of breaches at Irish Bank Resolution Corporation; and if he will detail the actions the Central Bank of Ireland has taken in response to the breach or breaches. [5615/13]

Banking Licence Breaches

Pearse Doherty

274. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 275 of 29 January 2013, if he will confirm if the breach or breaches to the terms of the banking licence have prevented or hindered Irish Bank Resolution Corporation in pursuing its objectives. [5616/13]

Banking Licence Breaches

Pearse Doherty

275. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 275 of 29 January 2013, if he will detail the actions taken by Irish Bank Resolution Corporation in response to the breach or breaches. [5617/13]

Banking Licence Breaches

Pearse Doherty

276. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 275 of 29 January 2013, if he will confirm if the European Central Bank has been made aware of the breach or breaches at Irish Bank Resolution Corporation; and if so, if he will provide the response of the ECB to the breach or breaches. [5618/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

Pearse Doherty

282. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the reason for allowing property owners to be exempt from the proposed property tax for land over one acre; and if he will estimate the revenue he is willing to forego by limiting the property tax to the valuation of property on one acre. [5782/13]

Budget 2014

Pearse Doherty

285. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if, following the move across Europe to bring budgets into a semester process, the date of budget 2014; and the way the budget is announced will change. [5854/13]

Údarás na Gaeltachta Properties

Pearse Doherty

523. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the location of all Údarás na Gaeltachta premises in County Donegal; the size of these premises; when they were last occupied; the name of the occupying company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5950/13]

Warmer Homes Scheme Data

Pearse Doherty

528. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide details on the number of applicants who have applied for the warmer homes scheme; if he will provide details in tabular form of the number of applications received, approved and declined for the years 2011 and 2012. [5166/13]

Civil Service Code of Conduct

Pearse Doherty

621. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline the safeguards that exist within the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner to prevent conflicts of interest when employees of the Office move to related positions in the private sector. [5065/13]

Citizenship Ceremonies

Pearse Doherty

665. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a person (details supplied) approved for citizenship, who has submitted all of his or her required documents and certification fee, may expect to be called to attend the citizenship ceremony at which they will make a declaration of fidelity to the Irish nation and loyalty to the State; if the person will be allocated a place at the next citizenship ceremony; when the next ceremony will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5836/13]

Health Care Infrastructure

Pearse Doherty

758. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health further to the publication by RTÉ of a letter (details supplied) which includes a statement that he requested that two projects be accelerated in the Health Service Executive's capital programme, the reasons he accelerated the two projects. [5066/13]

Broadband Services Speeds

Pearse Doherty

14. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the target broadband speed for semi-urban areas not covered by the National Broadband Strategy; the way these speeds compare to other countries of a similar population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4681/13]

Alternative Energy Projects

Pearse Doherty

41. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there are regulations regarding the height of wind turbines here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4676/13]

EU-IMF Programme of Support Issues

Pearse Doherty

59. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance when he received a paper from the Troika on options for Ireland's exit from the Troika programme. [4823/13]

EU-IMF Programme of Support Issues

Pearse Doherty

60. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will make public any paper he received from the Troika on options for Ireland's exit from the programme. [4824/13]

EU-IMF Programme of Support Issues

Pearse Doherty

61. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the number of options that have been presented to him by the troika regarding Ireland's exit from the programme; and if he will state the options that were presented. [4825/13]

The Gathering Expenditure

Pearse Doherty

30. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there are any special arrangements in terms of financial support to be made available for traditional Irish musicians, dancers and artists for the duration of The Gathering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4500/13]

National Debt

Pearse Doherty

59. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the Exchequer borrowing level per year for the next three years and the promissory note-banking component of this borrowing. [4564/13]

Bank Guarantee Scheme Bond Repayments

Pearse Doherty

60. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the value of the remaining guaranteed bonds that remain to be paid. [4565/13]

National Debt

Pearse Doherty

62. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the amount of interest that will be paid this year to service debt and the component of this interest that is bank related debt. [4580/13]

National Treasury Management Agency Remuneration

Pearse Doherty

64. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if staff at the National Treasury Management Agency received bonuses in 2012; if so, the total of the bonuses paid; and if he will provide in tabular form the individual bonuses paid per type of employee. [4652/13]

Departmental Staff Data

Pearse Doherty

65. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff in the shareholder management unit in the Department of Finance; the full year cost of the SMU in 2012; and the budgeted full year cost in 2013. [4653/13]

Departmental Staff Data

Pearse Doherty

66. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff in the Shareholder Management Unit who are seconded to the SMU from the National Treasury Management Agency; and if he will set out in bands of three months the number of secondees and their duration of secondment from the National Treasury Management Agency to the SMU. [4654/13]

Departmental Staff Numbers

Pearse Doherty

67. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form the number of individual secondments from the National Treasury Management Agency in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. [4655/13]

Departmental Staff Data

Pearse Doherty

68. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons working in the shareholder management unit in the Department of Finance who are not employees of the Department of Finance or secondments from the National Treasury Management Agency. [4656/13]

National Treasury Management Agency Staff

Pearse Doherty

69. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the measures in place at the NewERA organisation within the National Treasury Management Agency to prevent conflicts of interest if employees or staff in NewERA are appointed to companies being created under the auspices of NewERA or in which the State is disposing of stakes. [4657/13]

Public Procurement Tenders

Pearse Doherty

99. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the action he will take to address the anomaly in central public sector procurement whereby local suppliers may supply goods and services at a cost less than that charged by a supplier awarded centrally through the National Procurement Service. [4719/13]

Labour Market Issues

Pearse Doherty

103. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason those on one parent family payments have been excluded from accessing the Momentum initiative announced by her Department last month; if she has plans to extend the scope of this scheme to those in receipt of one parent family payments who are not working and would like to enter the workforce in the near future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4732/13]

Labour Market Issues

Pearse Doherty

110. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if those in receipt of one parent family payment are included in the live register figures if they are not working; her views on whether those in receipt of one parent family payments should be excluded from accessing the momentum training initiative if they are not employed and hope to enter the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4730/13]

Proposed Legislation

Pearse Doherty

157. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to progress the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill; if this will substantially simplify and streamline the existing arrangements; if the reorganisation of the protection application processing framework will remove the current multi-layered processes and provide applicants with a final decision on their application in a more straightforward and timely fashion; the date on which this system will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4819/13]

Asylum Applications

Pearse Doherty

158. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on whether the time taken to process an application in respect of a person (details supplied) is acceptable; if his attention has been drawn to the academic achievements of this applicant and the support to them to undertake a PhD programme should their application be approved; if he will reconsider the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4820/13]

Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility

Pearse Doherty

131. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress that has been made in the ongoing issue around part-time fire fighters being refused jobseeker's payments on the stated grounds that the conditions applying to their work as a part-time fire fighter impose unreasonable restrictions on the locations at which they can accept work; if, in the interests of public safety, she will amend the rules of the scheme or produce new guidelines on the interpretation of the available for work criterion; and if she will ensure that part-time firefighters are not excluded from such benefits due to the fact that their vital role in the fire service requires them to be in certain geographic locations. [4080/13]