Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Ministerial Appointments

Shane Ross

756. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of appointees and the percentage of appointments made by him to all State agencies, commercial bodies and all other appointments made by him since taking office including the State owned banks and the Judiciary that were subject to a public applications process. [8163/13]

Property Management Companies

Shane Ross

122. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will intervene to regulate property management companies and to standardise fees, particularly in Dublin, to prevent unfair or exploitative charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6385/13]

Ministerial Meetings

Shane Ross

271. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of occasions that he has met the Chief Executive of IBEC, Mr Danny McCoy, since the last general election; the purpose of the meeting; the date of the meetings; the outcomes; the other attendees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4314/13]

Ministerial Meetings

Shane Ross

67. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of meetings he has held with the Governor of the Central Bank, Professor Patrick Honohan, since the last general election; the dates, the purpose of the meetings, the length of each meeting, the outcome and the names of those also in attendance. [3590/13]

Ministerial Meetings

Shane Ross

68. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of meetings he has held with the Chief Executive of the National Treasury Management Agency since the last General Election; the dates, the purpose of each meeting, the length of the meeting, the outcome and the names of those in attendance [3591/13]

Ministerial Meetings

Shane Ross

69. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of meetings he has held with the financial regulator, Mr. Matthew Elderfield, since the last election; the dates, the purpose of each meeting and the length of these meetings; the outcome and the names of those also in attendance. [3592/13]

National Treasury Management Agency Staff

Shane Ross

70. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of company vehicles driven by employees in the National Treasury Management Agency; the cost of the purchase of such vehicles; the running costs of these vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3593/13]

Ministerial Meetings

Shane Ross

71. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of times he has met the General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trades Unions, Mr David Begg, since the last General Election; the purpose of the meetings; the date of the meetings; the outcomes and the names of those also in attendance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3594/13]

Ministerial Meetings

Shane Ross

72. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number times he has met with the Chief Executive of IBEC, Mr Danny McCoy, since the last General Election; the purpose of each meeting; the date of the meetings; the outcome and the names of those others in attendance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3595/13]

Pension Provisions

Shane Ross

70. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance if he will allow those in financial difficulty who have contributed to a personal pension to be allowed to draw down from those pensions before they reach maturity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3174/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Shane Ross

210. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will bring forward any derogation for fee-charging protestant secondary schools from the two point increase in pupil teacher ratio, in view of the fact that the ultimate impact of this change will mean that increasing numbers of protestant families will not be able to send their children to the school of their ethos and choice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56452/12]

Job Initiatives

Shane Ross

344. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider expanding the JobBridge scheme along the lines of the noted German Dual Vocational Training System; her plans for the scheme over the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56591/12]

Household Charge Collection

Shane Ross

441. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of house holders who have not paid the 2012 household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56590/12]

Ministerial Meetings

Shane Ross

65. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of meetings he has had with the chairmen and chief executives of all the covered banks, individually and collectively, since he became Minister for Finance; the dates of the meetings; the topics discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51800/12]

Youth Enterprise Initiatives

Shane Ross

112. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plan he has to encourage youth entrepreneurship; if the Government has any plans to set up a youth entrepreneurship fund; if he sees the benefits in encouraging grant supports outside the areas of manufacturing and export; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51723/12]

Ministerial Meetings

Shane Ross

88. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of meetings he has had with the public interest directors of the banks, individually and collectively, since he became Minister for Finance; the dates of these meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50429/12]

Banking Licence Applications

Shane Ross

47. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the number of applications in each of the last eight quarters for banking licences; the action he will take to attract new banking entrants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47014/12]

NAMA Staff Remuneration

Shane Ross

49. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the reason employees of the National Treasury Management Agency have not had the same pay cuts applied to their salaries as civil servants; if there are other State bodies which have not been affected by the so-called across the board pay cut applied to the civil service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46858/12]

Fiscal Policy

Shane Ross

58. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the macro-economic stability and debt sustainability analyses, if any, that have been undertaken in which an assumption is that the promissory note is not repaid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47011/12]

Fiscal Policy

Shane Ross

59. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the analyses that are being undertaken in view of the IMF WEO note on multipliers to establish the short term multiplier for Government spending here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47012/12]

Financial Services Regulation

Shane Ross

92. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his view on whether the Irish accountancy bodies have sufficient safeguards in place to enforce regulation and compliance which will help rebuild Ireland's reputation at home and abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46859/12]

Alternative Energy Projects

Shane Ross

128. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if firms like wind farms operators and others, who receive State grants are required to refund the grants to the taxpayer if they are taken over by a multinational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46857/12]

Local Authority Charges Application

Shane Ross

138. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if rates are formally introduced if both the household charge and the second residence charge will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46856/12]

Medical Card Drugs

Shane Ross

228. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Health the reason Osteole 1500mg has been removed from the medical card scheme; the criteria under which this decision was reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46860/12]

Medical Aids and Appliances Applications

Shane Ross

616. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Health if he will direct the Health Service Executive to provide orthotic shoes to a child (details supplied) in Dublin 14; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44204/12]

Inter-Country Adoptions

Shane Ross

216. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an update on the stage of negotiations regarding the Russian bilateral; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43792/12]

Financial Services Regulation

Shane Ross

54. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Central Bank of Ireland did not advise clients of Custom House Capital of the problems that was brought to their notice so that the clients could have stopped investing with Custom House Capital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42234/12]

Financial Services Regulation

Shane Ross

55. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Central Bank of Ireland should not compensate clients of Custom House Capital for moneys stolen from Pension Funds from March 2009 when they received information that Custom House Capital when not complying with the requirements of the Financial Regulator until July 2011 when they sought to seek the appointment of High Court Inspectors to investigate the affairs of the firm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42235/12]

Financial Services Regulation

Shane Ross

56. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance if he will advise an increase in the compensation figure of €20,000 from the Investor Compensation Company Limited to €100,000 to match the guarantee for bank deposits; if they will backdate it to the same date for the introduction of the guarantee for bank deposits in order that clients of Custom House Capital can be compensated for the lack of supervision and regulation of the Financial Regulator / Central Bank of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42236/12]

Departmental Expenditure

Shane Ross

104. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will outline in detail the political funding to be paid to each qualifying party for 2012, including Leaders’ Allowance, Electoral Act Funding and the qualifying parties’ staffing allocation, with a break-down of the acceptable uses for each fund; the reforms that are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42145/12]

Services for People with Disabilities

Shane Ross

301. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to have Irish sign language recognised as an official language here; if not, the reason for same, when it is so widely used here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40081/12]

Property Services Regulation

Shane Ross

158. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the new regulations that have been brought in to ensure that auctioneers are operating within transparent and accountable guidelines; his plans now or in the future to regulate the property industry from a purchaser perspective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39722/12]

Medical Card Eligibility

Shane Ross

213. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Health if he will direct the Health Service Executive to reconsider the recent initiative which saw up to 16,000 medical card holders who have coeliac disease no longer able to use their cards to buy gluten-free products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39721/12]

Financial Services Regulation

Shane Ross

278. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance if the State has ruled out compensating investors who have lost savings and pension contributions in the Customs House Capital debacle; if the State acknowledges a responsibility in this affair due to lack of adequate regulation by the Central Bank of Ireland; if it is open to any citizen to take an action against the Central Bank for negligence under any circumstances; if there is a ceiling on the compensation available to investors in this case; the number of investors that were affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38426/12]

Foreign Adoptions

Shane Ross

699 Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when she expects to be in a position to make a statement regarding the Russian bilateral agreement; the current stage of the negotiations; her plans for the negotiations; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[34516/12]