Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Firearms Certificates

Robert Dowds

613. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will consider amending the Firearms Acts 1925 to 2006, inclusive, to increase the minimum mandatory sentence for persons found to be in illegal possession of a firearm, in order to put further pressure on organised crime gangs operating within the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33630/14]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Data

Robert Dowds

840. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that are currently part of the nursing home support scheme. [33243/14]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Data

Robert Dowds

841. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health the number of members of the nursing home support scheme who own their own home; and the number of these homes that are no longer inhabited. [33244/14]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Data

Robert Dowds

842. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health if he will consider excluding rental income from the income assessment of a person who is part of the nursing home support scheme, where they agree to rent the home to a recipient of rent supplement, or the new housing assistance payment. [33245/14]

Student Grant Scheme Reform

Robert Dowds

1272. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to reverse the cuts in the third level maintenance grant over the past several years in recognition of the dramatically increasing rates of rent for student accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33478/14]

Grant Payments

Robert Dowds

1545. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will instruct local authorities to accept applications for the household adaptation grant scheme from individuals who are in arrears on the local property tax, conditional upon an agreed timeline for repayment of the arrears; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34035/14]

Taxi Regulations

Robert Dowds

1703. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the numbers of persons who have had fines or legal proceedings issued against them for non-compliance with taxi regulations; and the measures taken to tackle illegal activity in the taxi industry. [33965/14]

Taxi Regulations

Robert Dowds

1704. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the numerous cases of taxis operating in Dublin with tinted windows and taking a number of passengers in excess of what is legal or safe; the action his Department is taking to tackle this illegal activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33966/14]

Penalty Points System

Robert Dowds

1721. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of penalty points given to truck drivers on the Kennelsfort Road, Palmerstown, Dublin 20, for the past five years. [34278/14]

Foras na Gaeilge

Robert Dowds

1781. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Robert Dowds den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an féidir léi a shoiléiriú cén fáth ar seoladh ríomhphost chuig 100 duine ar bronnadh an Séala Creidiúnaithe d'Aistritheoirí orthu roimh 2013, á rá go bhfuil an Séala sin á bhaint uathu de réir cinneadh de chuid Foras na Gaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [34155/14]

Tobacco Seizures

Robert Dowds

159. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the successful Garda operations in terms of the seizures of smuggled tobacco products during the past 12 months. [29350/14]

Financial Services Regulation

Robert Dowds

172. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Finance the protection that is available to prevent children from undertaking credit card transactions on the Internet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29250/14]

Financial Services Regulation

Robert Dowds

173. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Finance the special precautions that are taken to prevent children purchasing virtual enhancements for games on the Internet, mobile phones or games consoles. [29251/14]

Financial Services Regulation

Robert Dowds

174. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Finance if he will agree to open discussions with banking institutions to see if arrangements could be put in place to prevent children undertaking credit card transactions on the Internet without parental approval. [29252/14]

Community Development Initiatives

Robert Dowds

510. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if organisations running community development projects which focus on a single group or issue, such as women's groups, will be eligible to tender for contracts under the social inclusion and community activation programme. [29314/14]

Community Development Initiatives

Robert Dowds

511. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there will be contracts available under the social inclusion and community activation programme for single-interest groups, such as women's groups; or if each contract will apply to a whole county or geographical area. [29315/14]

Housing Assistance Payments Administration

Robert Dowds

523. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way the introduction of the housing assistance payment, later this year, will be reflected in central Government funding to local councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29451/14]

Proposed Legislation

Robert Dowds

120. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he expects the climate change Bill to be brought before Dáil Éireann. [28646/14]

School Completion Programme

Robert Dowds

194. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will reconsider the recent cuts in funding to the school completion programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28645/14]

Pension Provisions

Robert Dowds

138. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider allowing a person to close their private pension account and use it to pay the outstanding balance on a mortgage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28263/14]

Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla

Robert Dowds

266. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Robert Dowds den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an ndéanfaidh sé Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2014 a leasú chun (a) foráil nua a chur san Acht go mbeidh ar a laghad deich faoin gcéad de na fostaithe sa státseirbhís in ann cumarsáid shásúil a dhéanamh leis an bpobal trí Ghaeilge, agus (b) foráil nua a chur san Acht go mbeidh faoi dheireadh 2016 gach seirbhís ar fáil do phobal na Gaeltachta trí Ghaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [28142/14]

Maoiniú Chraoltóirí Seirbhíse Poiblí

Robert Dowds

270. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Robert Dowds den Aire Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha an ndéanfaidh sé bonn maoinithe leanúnach ilbhlianta a chur faoi TG4 anois mar atá faoi RTÉ; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [28143/14]

Long-Term Illness Scheme Eligibility

Robert Dowds

470. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health his views on adding Crohn's disease to the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27951/14]

Road Traffic Offences

Robert Dowds

132. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if photographs taken by traffic cameras of persons who commit traffic offences may be used by the Garda for the purposes of identifying the persons concerned. [27502/14]

Mental Health Services Provision

Robert Dowds

167. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the posts which were sanctioned but not filled in child and adolescent mental health services as of 12 March 2014, which were expected to be filled by the second quarter of this year. [27503/14]

Mental Health Services Provision

Robert Dowds

168. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of all specialist staff in child and adolescent mental health services by the Health Service Executive area according to the most recent data available. [27504/14]

Mental Health Services Provision

Robert Dowds

169. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health if he will delineate the catchment areas for child and adolescent mental health service teams in Dublin and bordering counties. [27505/14]

Mental Health Services Provision

Robert Dowds

170. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health if redeployment of staff from the child and adolescent mental health services to other services within the Health Service Executive, or from one CAMHS unit to another, has been taking place since 2011. [27506/14]

Mental Health Services Provision

Robert Dowds

171. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health the way staffing for child and adolescent mental health services is calculated under A Vision for Change; and the way population data are obtained to determine staffing. [27507/14]

Data Protection

Robert Dowds

172. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health his views on the way data protection affects the sharing of information between Tusla and the Health Service Executive; and if consent given to one entity is considered sufficient to cover interactions with both entities where a patient is shared. [27509/14]

Data Protection

Robert Dowds

209. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the way data protection affects the sharing of information between Tusla and the Health Service Executive; and if consent given to one entity is considered sufficient to cover interactions with both entities where a patient is shared. [27508/14]

Charities Regulation

Robert Dowds

79. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on the Government's response to improve the reputation of the charitable sector. [21140/14]

Private Residential Tenancies Board Remit

Robert Dowds

366. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he expects the legislation to be enacted to allow residents' associations to submit complaints to the Private Residential Tenancies Board. [26726/14]

Building Regulations Amendments

Robert Dowds

367. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider requiring the means to allow rainwater harvesting as an element of all new build housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26727/14]

Ambulance Service Provision

Robert Dowds

184. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health his response to the National Ambulance Service report for April which indicated that ambulances spent over 8,000 hours parked outside hospitals last April; and the way he will address the problem [26255/14]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Robert Dowds

185. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health the extent to which there is a problem of persons with chronic conditions visiting hospital accident and emergency departments in an effort to secure quicker treatment than on the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26256/14]

Hospitals Data

Robert Dowds

186. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health the extent to which the workings of Irish hospitals have been examined by the Health Service Executive with a view to best establish where savings can be made and to identify where more resources are required. [26257/14]

Disease Management

Robert Dowds

224. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health if he will respond to the representations made regarding sickle cell disease before the Joint Committee on Health and Children on 10 April last. [25070/14]

Road Toll Operators

Robert Dowds

244. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of customer complaints received by the eFlow body and the process for resolving these complaints. [25013/14]

Road Toll Operators

Robert Dowds

245. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there has ever been a review of the accessibility and consumer friendliness of the eFlow system; and if so, the results of this review; and if he will consider launching a review. [25014/14]

Taxi Regulations

Robert Dowds

230. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the new taxi regulations under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 will take effect; and when the Act will be fully commenced. [23844/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Robert Dowds

112. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health the rate of interest on savings used to assess earnings for the purpose of medical card applications and-or reviews; and the way this rate is calculated [23421/14]

Carbon Tax Implementation

Robert Dowds

126. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Finance if he will enumerate the amount of carbon tax per unit of fuel as bought by the consumer, as distinct from the unit of carbon dioxide emitted, for each of the fuels to which the tax applies. [22774/14]

School Accommodation

Robert Dowds

256. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on constructing temporary classroom accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22807/14]

Freedom of Information Legislation

Robert Dowds

325. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on the freedom of information legislation. [22992/14]

Hospital Services

Robert Dowds

842. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health if it would be feasible for hospitals to use Saorview for their television signal rather than subscribing to cable; and whether this would be a cost-saving measure. [22822/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Robert Dowds

855. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on changes to medical card retention for persons returning to work, as announced in budget 2014. [22888/14]

Nursing Home Accommodation

Robert Dowds

870. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Health his plans regarding Crooksling Nursing Home in Brittas, County Dublin. [22948/14]

Immigration Policy

Robert Dowds

156. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on planned legislation relating to the asylum process. [21687/14]

Asylum Seeker Accommodation

Robert Dowds

157. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding conditions in the Clondalkin Towers Refugee Centre, Ninth Lock Road, Dublin 22; her plans to improve conditions in this centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21688/14]