Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Sugar Industry

Declan Breathnach

260. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding streams and grant aid supports there are for producing industrial chemicals from sugar beet; if any projects have accessed the EU funding opportunity under the bio-based industries joint undertaking to date; his plans to provide funding supports to help re-establish the sugar beet industry from 1 October 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12448/17]

Health Insurance Cover

Declan Breathnach

203. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health if he will intervene in a matter (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the facility has to turn persons away that are members of a company due to this refusal and that these persons have nowhere else to turn to in the region; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the facility is struggling to maintain its staffing levels due to this refusal; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this refusal is contrary to EU law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12274/17]

Insurance Coverage

Declan Breathnach

284. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to regulate for insurance for hobby drone users; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the two insurance companies here underwritten by UK companies that offer insurance cover for drones will not cover drones used by amateurs and hobbyists; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that there have been a number of accidents and damage to property caused by drones operated by amateurs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12317/17]

Hospital Facilities

Declan Breathnach

535. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health if the five new operating theatres and emergency departments will be fully equipped and commissioned to function as per planning permission when the phase two building at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital is complete in November 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11519/17]

GLAS Payments

Declan Breathnach

678. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 236 of 8 February 2017 regarding a person (details supplied), if the portion of the land that needed to be reassessed for the balance of the 2015 payment under the GLAS scheme has been examined; if the examination has not yet taken place, the reason; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of farmers in the Carlingford and Cooley Peninsula area are still waiting for assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9873/17]

Grant Aid

Declan Breathnach

704. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a new grant scheme available for small-scale forestry (details supplied); if so, when this scheme commences; the timeframe for persons to get access to such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10261/17]

Services for People with Disabilities

Declan Breathnach

299. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health if he will provide urgent funding to a facility (details supplied) in County Louth for the care of persons with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues to allow it meet modern standards for delivery of care to persons in both institutional and community settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9189/17]

Services for People with Disabilities

Declan Breathnach

300. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to problems uncovered with the services provided at a facility (details supplied) in County Louth for persons with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues; if his attention has been further drawn to the imminent closure by HIQA of four of the units at this facility and the distress that this will cause to persons and families that use same; if his attention has been drawn to the urgent need for resources to keep this much needed service open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9190/17]

Departmental Expenditure

Declan Breathnach

318. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the overall spend by his Department on health and well-being initiatives each year since 2012, in tabular form; the individual initiatives in health and well-being supported by the Government for the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9269/17]

Road Safety Authority Campaigns

Declan Breathnach

232. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consideration will be given to a road safety campaign focusing on visibility and awareness for vulnerable road users such as cyclists, schoolchildren and joggers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8908/17]

Labour Activation Measures

Declan Breathnach

301. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on recent reports in the media that his Department is considering ending the labour activation schemes, including Tús and Gateway; if his attention has been drawn to the detrimental effect this would have on these fundamental schemes which provide an excellent gateway into the workforce for unemployed persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8581/17]

Capital Assistance Scheme

Declan Breathnach

153. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if €86 million was allocated to capital assistance scheme projects in 2016; the amount of this allocation that was actually spent on CAS projects; if all CAS applications received were considered for funding; the areas to which the balance of the allocation for CAS projects not used for CAS projects went; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7464/17]

Capital Assistance Scheme

Declan Breathnach

155. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of an application for capital assistance scheme funding (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a company (details supplied) submitted a proposal to his Department through Louth County Council in this case in 2016 and has not yet received a reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7471/17]

Mobile Telephony Use

Declan Breathnach

263. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason Irish mobile telephone customers are paying more than other European customers for making calls when abroad; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that according to ComReg the average surcharge applied by Irish operators is 98c per minute compared with just 69c across the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7590/17]

Mobile Telephony Use

Declan Breathnach

264. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the outcome for roaming charges between Ireland and the UK post-Brexit (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is a serious issue for persons living in the Border regions in which mobile operator service providers automatically switch over and back; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7593/17]

Legislative Measures

Declan Breathnach

287. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her attention has been drawn to the severe restrictions imposed on community and voluntary groups and community work placement initiatives by the need to comply with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005; if she will make it mandatory that all persons employed under these schemes will receive proper training, proper clothing and work materials under the Act to allow them carry out the full range of tasks associated with the job; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that participants in these schemes are prevented from reaching their full potential and training experience due to restrictions being put in place under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7723/17]

EU Issues

Declan Breathnach

103. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the EU ESTA proposal; if she has discussed it with her UK counterpart; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6917/17]

Illicit Trade in Fuel and Tobacco Products

Declan Breathnach

108. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Finance the reason the number of seizures of illicit cigarettes and tobacco has dropped 16% from 7,154 seizures in 2015 to 6,024 in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6147/17]

Occupational Therapy

Declan Breathnach

208. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the reason the waiting lists in County Louth for occupational therapy are increasing; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are children on the waiting list for more than 20 months because of staff shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6206/17]

GLAS Payments

Declan Breathnach

236. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there are continuing delays in payments under the GLAS scheme; when a person (details supplied) will receive payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6142/17]

National Broadband Plan

Declan Breathnach

253. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if consideration will be given to appointing a number of liaison officers from his Department to deal with different regions in taking broadband queries on behalf of members of the public submitted by elected representatives; if further consideration will be given to supplying elected representatives with the contact details of a liaison person from each of the broadband service providers within regions that elected representatives can communicate with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6237/17]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Declan Breathnach

476. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the reason there is such a long waiting time to see a consultant ophthalmologist in the Mater Hospital in respect of the serious condition glaucoma (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6115/17]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Declan Breathnach

479. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay for a person (details supplied) to see a consultant ophthalmologist in the Mater Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6118/17]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Declan Breathnach

560. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to speed up the roll-out of high speed broadband into communities in which there is currently little or no service; if there is a timeframe on the urgent points identified in the implementation programme on mobile phone and broadband access document; if he will direct the broadband and mobile phone service providers to extend connectivity to all households when they are working within an area; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that service providers currently consider it acceptable to connect some households within an area and not others; the timeframe for the roll-out of high speed broadband to a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5402/17]

Broadband Service Provision

Declan Breathnach

569. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to speed up the roll-out of high speed broadband into communities in which there is currently little or no service; if there is a timeframe on the urgent points identified in the implementation programme on mobile phone and broadband access document; if he will direct the broadband and mobile phone service providers to extend connectivity to all households when they are working within an area; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that service providers currently consider it acceptable to connect some households within an area and not others; the timeframe on the roll-out of high speed broadband to a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5646/17]

Broadband Service Provision

Declan Breathnach

316. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the action he is taking to speed up the rolling out of high-speed broadband into communities in which there is currently little or no service; if there is a timeframe on the urgent points identified in the implementation programme on the mobile telephone and broadband access document; if he will direct the broadband and mobile telephone service providers to extend connectivity to all households when they are working within an area; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that service providers currently consider it acceptable to connect some households within an area and not others; the timeframe on the roll-out of high-speed broadband to a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5042/17]

Broadband Service Provision

Declan Breathnach

317. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the action he is taking to speed up the roll-out of high-speed broadband into communities in which there is currently little or no service; if there is a timeframe on the urgent points identified in the implementation programme on the mobile telephone and broadband access document; if he will direct the broadband and mobile telephone service providers to extend connectivity to all households when they are working within an area; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that service providers currently consider it acceptable to connect some households within an area and not others; the timeframe on the roll-out of high-speed broadband to a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5047/17]

Broadband Service Provision

Declan Breathnach

318. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the action he will take to speed up the roll-out of high speed broadband into communities in which there is currently little or no service; the timeframe on the urgent points identified in the implementation programme on the mobile telephone and broadband access document; if he will direct the broadband and mobile telephone service providers to extend connectivity to all households when they are working within an area; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that service providers currently consider it is acceptable to connect some households within an area and not others; the timeframe on the roll-out of high-speed broadband to a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5049/17]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Declan Breathnach

84. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the action that will be taken in 2017 to reduce waiting times for outpatient consultations in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, which increased significantly during 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4684/17]

Home Help Service

Declan Breathnach

94. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health if there will be any increase in the number of home help hours provided in 2017 in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4685/17]

Schengen Agreement

Declan Breathnach

106. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the timeframe for Ireland's access to the Schengen information system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4053/17]

Schengen Agreement

Declan Breathnach

107. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department has reassessed protocols regarding the exchange of information on the Schengen information system between the UK and Ireland post-Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4054/17]

Respite Care Services Provision

Declan Breathnach

135. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health if any additional funding will be allocated to Louth HSE and ring-fenced to help resolve the urgent issue of lack of adult respite places in County Louth; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the need was agreed by the HSE; if he will review the costing (details supplied) of providing a house to meet the needs of 30 to 40 families and the value for money that this represents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3564/17]

State Pensions

Declan Breathnach

303. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Social Protection if the changes planned to come into effect in 2020 in the way the State pension (contributory) is calculated, taking total contributions into account rather than the current averaging system, will be retrospectively applied to persons currently receiving a reduced rate of State pension (contributory) due to the averaging system; if he has decided the number of full contributions that will be required to qualify for the full rate of State pension (contributory) on or after 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3135/17]

Ministerial Meetings

Declan Breathnach

30. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she has met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since his appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40463/16]

Brexit Issues

Declan Breathnach

57. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on discussions her Department has undertaken on Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40462/16]

Passport Applications

Declan Breathnach

245. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the unprecedented increase in new applications for Irish passports, if he will consider the opening of a satellite passport office in the north east to facilitate persons from that region and Northern Ireland when applying for passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40498/16]

School Expulsions

Declan Breathnach

547. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the percentage of students suspended and-or expelled from schools in counties Louth and Meath for the past three years; if her Department has issued guidelines to all second level schools on developing their code of behaviour particularly regarding suspension and expulsion of students; if these guidelines advise that such measures should be a last resort after other interventions have been tried; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40548/16]

Waste Tyre Disposal

Declan Breathnach

589. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the new regulations he expects to have in place early in 2017 pertaining to producer responsibilities for environmentally sound management of waste tyres; the details of his proposed mandatory compliance scheme to ensure that the vEMC levy is actually used for the measures intended by the scheme, that is, for waste management of end of life tyres; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a section of the industry that continues to impede the producer responsibility model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39880/16]

Rail Services Provision

Declan Breathnach

622. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the explanation he has been given from Irish Rail following reports that the Enterprise cross-Border rail service experienced a total of 1,700 delays in the past year, adding to a total of 15 days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39881/16]

Rail Services Provision

Declan Breathnach

623. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to invest in improving the cross-Border rail service going forward, as agreed by the Government in the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39882/16]

North-South Ministerial Council

Declan Breathnach

624. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of formal bilateral meetings he has had with Northern Ireland's Minister for Infrastructure since his appointment; the issues discussed at any such meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39883/16]

Fines Data

Declan Breathnach

45. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the percentage of fines that were paid since the enactment of the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014 in January 2016, specifically in relation to those that are fined for smuggling or selling illicit cigarettes, fuel and alcohol; the number of persons sent to prison for non-payment; the number of attachment orders imposed; her plans to extend the legislation to allow for recovery of fines by the attachment of social protection payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39186/16]

Schools Building Projects Applications

Declan Breathnach

145. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure accelerated delivery of an urgent school building application (details supplied); when the school can expect commencement of the extension for which it has already been waiting 13 years; the criteria the school can provide evidence of in order to ensure prioritisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38466/16]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Declan Breathnach

160. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider revising the residency rules governing eligibility for the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant which prevents Irish citizens returning from non-EU countries from receiving the grant; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this rule is preventing persons from taking up college places due to hardship issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38528/16]

Local Authority Expenditure

Declan Breathnach

192. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount of compensation paid out by local authorities in the past three years for damage caused by potholes in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38516/16]

Local Authority Expenditure

Declan Breathnach

193. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the total amount of insurance claims paid out by local authorities in the past three years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38517/16]

Passport Applications Data

Declan Breathnach

259. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of first-time applications for Irish passports in the past three years to date in 2016 by county and jurisdiction, including the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38781/16]

Easter Rising Commemorations

Declan Breathnach

495. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason Louth Civil Defence did not take part in the 1916 commemoration parade on 27 March 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38783/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Declan Breathnach

47. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the action that will be taken to address the fact that 441 persons have been waiting over 18 months for an outpatient appointment at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38054/16]