Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Foreign Conflicts

Bernard Durkan

202. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he and his EU colleagues, together with the United Nations, can take measures to protect women and girls under threat from Boko Haram; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8660/15]

Foreign Conflicts

Bernard Durkan

203. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the situation in South Sudan remains under observation by the European Union, with a view to a making positive impact to protect civilians, establish the observance of human rights principles and set up safe havens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8661/15]

Overseas Development Aid

Bernard Durkan

204. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which Ireland’s aid programme continues to address the most seriously challenging situations in locations throughout Africa most affected by starvation, war, genocide and the abuse of human rights; if the top ten such locations continue to receive attention to the extent required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8662/15]

Human Rights

Bernard Durkan

205. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which his Department and embassy officials continue to liaise with the Egyptian authorities with a view to bringing about the early release of an Irish citizen (details supplied) who has never held any other citizenship, having particular regard to recent positive developments in the area, with regard to other nationalities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8663/15]

Infectious Disease Epidemics

Bernard Durkan

206. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the various Irish and other national aid agencies continue to assist in the fight against Ebola; the degree to which the outbreaks are being contained; if adequate health and safety precautions continue to be taken by medical and aid workers in the areas affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8664/15]

Foreign Conflicts

Bernard Durkan

207. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which the international community continues to positively influence matters in Ukraine, with particular reference to maintaining a ceasefire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8665/15]

Human Rights

Bernard Durkan

208. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which his European Union and United Nations colleagues continue to monitor human rights abuses globally; the degree to which positive intervention continues to be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8667/15]

Undocumented Irish in the USA

Bernard Durkan

209. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress being made toward the regularisation of the undocumented Irish in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8668/15]

Syrian Conflict

Bernard Durkan

210. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which aid, and support, can be provided to the civilian population in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8669/15]

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Bernard Durkan

211. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he and his European Union colleagues can bring about better observation of human rights and the elimination of human rights abuses in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8670/15]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Michael Healy-Rae

212. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the plan, and form of education, being put in place for children with autism, and other mental health issues, when they reach 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8475/15]

Further Education and Training Programmes Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

213. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of expenditure on rented accommodation in the further education and training sector by education and training board area during each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8486/15]

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Denis Naughten

214. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of issuing hard copy payslips to all employees paid by her; the number of staff issued with such payslips; the steps being taken to only issue payslips by electronic means; the time frame involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8512/15]

School Accommodation Provision

Dara Calleary

215. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the proposed location for the new Educate Together school in Castlebar, County Mayo; if the proposed venue is currently been used by any group, either statutory or voluntary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8541/15]

School Staff

Patrick O'Donovan

216. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide full-time contracts to secretaries, employed by the board of management, in secondary schools, in order for them to be in receipt of the same entitlements as other permanent staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8544/15]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Charlie McConalogue

217. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence (details supplied) from parents of children with Down's syndrome; her plans to provide children with Down's syndrome with an individualised right to resource teaching hours, outside the general allocation system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8546/15]

Institutes of Technology Staff

Michael McGrath

218. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 464 of 27 January 2015, if she will provide, for each institute of technology, the number of individual academic staff members, not whole-time equivalents, for each of the following categories of academic staff who hold permanent whole-time contracts; pro rata contracts of indefinite duration; pro rata contracts; hourly paid contracts of indefinite duration; hourly paid contracts; and the total number of academic staff who are on the payroll system. [8556/15]

School Accommodation Provision

John McGuinness

219. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in relation to the accommodation needs and water treatment system upgrade, or replacement, at a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; her views on the provision of prefabricated or permanent structures on this site; and if she will expedite the request from the school to deal with accommodation and site issues. [8674/15]

Ministerial Advisers Remuneration

Colm Keaveney

220. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total severance packages, individually detailed, received by any special advisers in her Department or those under her aegis since January, 2014, specifically in respect of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9091/15]

Housing Assistance Payments Administration

Catherine Murphy

221. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extra staffing that has been put in place to administer the forthcoming introduction of the housing assistance payment scheme; the number, and the locations; the amount that has been allocated for this; the new information and communications technology systems that have been put in place to administer the scheme; and the amount that has been spent on same to date [8700/15]

Postal Voting

Michael Healy-Rae

222. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding persons who are out of the country on a polling day (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8479/15]

Derelict Sites

Michael Healy-Rae

223. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the criteria that constitutes a derelict building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8481/15]

Election Management System

Ruth Coppinger

224. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the increase in the number of naturalised citizens, if he will issue guidelines to polling staff, in the upcoming referenda, to allow those listed on the electoral register, as non-Irish citizens, to vote, where they can produce evidence of their citizenship, such as a passport, or certificate of naturalisation, at the polling station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8517/15]

Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration

Arthur Spring

225. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to re-introduce a tenant purchase scheme, or any similar type scheme, for occupants of local authority houses nationwide. [8523/15]

Haulage Industry Regulation

Brendan Smith

226. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration will be given to the request of the Irish Road Haulage Association (details supplied), in view of the particular difficulties facing hauliers, particularly in the Border area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8559/15]

Voluntary Sector Funding

Catherine Murphy

227. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the perilous funding situation of an organisation (details supplied), which conducts vital suicide prevention work in the community; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that funding to tackle suicide has never been of more critical need, considering the number of suicides reached its highest ever number in 2011 and that Ireland has the fourth highest rate of suicide for men aged 15 to 24 years of age, in Europe; if he will commit to ensuring that vital funding to this organisation is maintained by Pobal through the scheme to support national organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8570/15]

Offshore Islands

Seán Kyne

228. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the funding provided to Inishbofin Island in 2013, and 2014 by the sections of his Department originally part of the old Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. [8571/15]

Voluntary Sector Funding

Catherine Murphy

229. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when a decision will be made in respect of which organisations formerly in receipt of Pobal funding and now in receipt of associated bridging funding will continue to be awarded funding; the amount that will be allocated; the number of organisations in receipt of bridging funding; the number that have applied for continued funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8573/15]

EU Directives

Fergus O'Dowd

230. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to implement the European Union's clean air for Europe directive's national emissions reduction target for 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8580/15]

Air Pollution

Fergus O'Dowd

231. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency into air quality here in 2013 and in particular the section of the report addressing future challenges (details supplied), which states that the levels of particulate matter in smaller towns are similar to or higher than those in cities where bituminous coal is banned; the actions that he will take to reduce concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PM (Particulate Matter) 10 and PM 2 in such smaller towns and elsewhere; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8582/15]

Air Pollution

Fergus O'Dowd

232. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the recent report of the Environmental Protection Agency entitled Air Quality in Ireland 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8586/15]

Mortgage Arrears Proposals

Lucinda Creighton

233. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total numbers of meetings he or his officials have held with a person or company (details supplied) in the context of a proposed bid to purchase Permanent TSB mortgages; if he will confirm that he was aware of any form of this proposal that would include fees from the company being paid to the person or other company, or the company obtaining rent supplement for the borrowers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8654/15]

Postal Voting

Martin Heydon

234. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to expand the provision of postal voting for citizens who find themselves out of the country, at the time of a vote, to allow them to register their vote, by means of post, so they do not lose out on their right to vote, as a result of a holiday, business, or family trip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8681/15]

Irish Water Funding

Michael McGrath

235. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Irish Water has been provided a credit rating by international credit ratings agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8691/15]

Irish Water Funding

Michael McGrath

236. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the current level of borrowing undertaken by Irish Water; its approximate cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8692/15]

Irish Water Funding

Michael McGrath

237. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the approximate level of borrowing Irish Water will have to undertake, over the next ten years, to fulfil its capital investment programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8693/15]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Terence Flanagan

238. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to tackle the housing crisis in Dublin; the new funding that is being provided to tackle social housing lists; the number of homes he expects to be built in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8708/15]

Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme

Terence Flanagan

239. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on local partnership amalgamations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8709/15]

Litter Pollution

Terence Flanagan

240. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration has been given to a matter (details supplied) regarding dog fouling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8716/15]

Electricity Generation

Michael Moynihan

241. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has examined converting the coal fired power station at Moneypoint, County Clare, into a biomass energy power station; if it has been costed. [8535/15]

Energy Policy

Michael Moynihan

242. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if biomass will form part of future Government energy policy. [8536/15]

Broadband Service Speeds

Bernard Durkan

243. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if and when effective, high speed broadband will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, who is awaiting such broadband for a number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8555/15]

Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

Lucinda Creighton

244. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the process and procedure for the appointment of persons (details supplied) to the compliance committee of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland; if he will confirm the written, or oral, representations he, his officials, or his advisers, received on two named persons' behalf, supporting their appointment; if he will confirm whether a Minister, or a junior Minister, made representations on behalf of either of the two named persons, to him; the reason these new appointments fell outside the new requirement for a public recruitment process for State boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8650/15]

Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

Catherine Murphy

245. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he appointed any persons to the board of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland without a recruitment competition; if so, the reason for same; if he is satisfied that all persons on the compliance committee of the board of the authority have no conflicts of interest in adjudicating complaints made against broadcasters in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8721/15]

Wild Atlantic Way Project

Michael Healy-Rae

246. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Valentia Island, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8507/15]

Road Projects Expenditure

Colm Keaveney

247. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation his Department made to provide for an inner relief road for Tuam, County Galway; when the inner relief road will be complete; if he has received representations on this matter, from individual councillors on Galway County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8477/15]

Wild Atlantic Way Project

Pádraig MacLochlainn

248. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the investment State agencies are making or are planning to make in developing the Fanad lighthouse in County Donegal as a key tourism amenity for the Wild Atlantic Way. [8482/15]

Road Projects Expenditure

Pádraig MacLochlainn

249. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has received a resubmitted funding application for a new bridge at Cockhill, Buncrana, County Donegal, to take road traffic, and pedestrians, away from the existing unsafe bridge on this busy route through the heart of the Inishowen Peninsula; and if he will provide funding for this vital project. [8483/15]

National Roads Authority

Robert Dowds

250. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the persons-bodies that established the National Roads Authority; when same were set up and their responsibilities. [8537/15]

National Transport Authority

Robert Dowds

251. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the persons-bodies that established the National Transport Authority; when same were set up and their responsibilities. [8538/15]

Community Involvement Scheme

Patrick O'Donovan

252. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason for the abolition of the community involvement scheme; his plans for the reintroduction of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8557/15]

Public Service Obligation Services

Michael McGrath

253. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown of the amount of money spent on public-service-obligation aviation routes, in 2012, 2013 and 2014; if he will consider establishing a public-service-obligation route for air services between Cork Airport and Dublin Airport in view of the need for air connectivity between the country's two largest cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8631/15]

Driving Test

Patrick O'Donovan

254. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position, in respect of car hire costs and scheduled driving tests (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8640/15]

Roadworthiness Testing

Patrick O'Donovan

255. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will publish the submissions that were received by the Road Safety Authority regarding a review carried out on the testing of the roadworthiness of vintage vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8699/15]

Roadworthiness Testing

Patrick O'Donovan

256. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will publish the report by the Road Safety Authority on testing the roadworthiness of vintage vehicles; the timeframe for a decision to be made on any changes that are proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8717/15]

Roadworthiness Testing

Patrick O'Donovan

257. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there will be an opportunity for the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications to consider the report from the Road Safety Authority into the testing of the roadworthiness of vintage vehicles, in advance of any decision being made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8719/15]

Arts Funding

Michael McGrath

258. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of funding committed by the Government for the planned multi-functional events centre in Cork; when the funding must be drawn down by; if her Department has been advised of an indicative start date for the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8628/15]

Offshore Islands

Seán Kyne

259. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide a breakdown of the current expenditure figures, detailing the funding from her Department to Inishbofin Island, for the years 2013, and 2014. [8572/15]

Fostaíocht sa Ghaeltacht

Éamon Ó Cuív

260. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cén líon daoine atá fostaithe sa tionscal nua toitíní leictreonacha i gCorr na Móna, Co. na Gaillimhe; cén líon a bhfuil súil leis a bheith fostaithe ann ag deireadh na bliana seo; cén mhoill a bhaineann leis an tionscal seo a chur ar bun; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [8687/15]