Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Universal Social Charge Application

Ciara Conway

105. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance the progress that has been made in applying the universal social charge to pensions worth over €60,000 a year for the over-70s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36074/13]

Tax Reliefs Application

Ciara Conway

106. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance the measures that have been taken on reducing tax relief for pensions worth over €60,000 and the amount that this will realise for the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36075/13]

Tax and Social Welfare Codes

Ciara Conway

107. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance the amount of revenue raised by the changes in the taxation of social welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36076/13]

Tax and Social Welfare Codes

Ciara Conway

108. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance his views that the revenue raised by the taxation of social welfare payments should be ring-fenced to protect social welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36077/13]

NAMA Portfolio Issues

Ciara Conway

139. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance the number of non-residential properties the National Asset Management Agency has control over in Waterford city and county; if he will provide details, in tabular form, of locations and sizes; if some of these properties might be used by local charity and community groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36454/13]

Exchequer Revenue

Ciara Conway

141. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide figures on the amount it would cost the Exchequer to designate a two week tax holiday whereby citizens would not pay PAYE in the month of December to facilitate Christmas spending; if he will provide estimates on the potential boost to the economy as a result of this proposal; if he will consider this measure in the context of Budget 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36456/13]

Commercial Rates Valuation Process

Ciara Conway

253. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will list by urban rateable area, broken down by business type and in tabular form, the number of appeals to rate valuations received to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36061/13]

Commercial Rates Valuation Process

Ciara Conway

254. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has given further consideration to placing a moratorium on the rates valuation process in Waterford until after the amalgamation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36062/13]

State Properties

Ciara Conway

257. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on the transfer of Mount Congreve into public ownership; when the gardens will be open to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36065/13]

Data Protection

Ciara Conway

490. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the measures he is taking to preserve privacy online and protection of citizens' data in the wake of significant breaches of Internet privacy being committed by the American National Security Agency and the British GCsa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36063/13]

Personal Insolvency Act

Ciara Conway

492. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in relation to the personal insolvency practitioners process, if he will clarify who will bring those citizens who have insufficient disposable income or saleable assets to pay fees, through debt settlement arrangement or personal insolvency arrangements options; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36263/13]

Personal Insolvency Act

Ciara Conway

493. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will clarify if those persons who have insufficient means are to be denied the benefits of the insolvency legislation; if he will specify the avenues that are open to persons in this predicament; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36264/13]

Personal Insolvency Act

Ciara Conway

494. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if will commit to ensuring that Money Advice and Budgeting Service will be sufficiently resourced to provide DSA & PIAs to low and or middle income households who are not commercially viable for PIPs to take on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36265/13]

Personal Insolvency Act

Ciara Conway

495. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will clarify an issue in relation to Debt Settlement Arrangement or Personal Insolvency Arrangements options (details supplied); if persons who have insufficient means are to be denied the benefits of the Insolvency Legislation; and if Money Advice and Budgeting Service is sufficiently resourced to provide DSA and PIAs to low and or middle income households who are not commercially viable for PIPs to take on. [36266/13]

Garda Vetting Application Numbers

Ciara Conway

504. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to tackle the waiting list of approximately 3,000 persons who are awaiting Gardaí clearance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35988/13]

UN Conventions Issues

Ciara Conway

508. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when Ireland will adopt Article 19 of the UN convention into law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36064/13]

Magdalen Laundries Issues

Ciara Conway

562. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details in tabular form by county and demographic, the numbers of applications received so far under the Magdalen redress scheme; if he will provide an update on the status of the recommendations produced by Mr. Justice Quirke; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36457/13]

Health Services Reports

Ciara Conway

683. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health further to the publication of the Higgins report, if he will provide a full update regarding changes and progress at Waterford Regional Hospital with a particular focus on CAT labs and Cardiology services; if he will include a detailed timeline of expected completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36271/13]

Credit Unions Issues

Ciara Conway

66. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the losses incurred by a credit union (details supplied) in County Waterford as a result of the liquidation of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation; if he will advise as to what route this institution should pursue; if he is aware of other institutions in similar circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35643/13]

Money Laundering

Ciara Conway

67. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance if he has given consideration to changing the proposed requirements around anti-money laundering identification for the purchase of prize bonds; if he will consider increasing the new limits to a limit of €100, rather than the current proposed figure of €25, for those who wish to purchase prize bonds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35645/13]

Departmental Contracts

Ciara Conway

90. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list, in tabular form, the names of the companies, where they are headquartered, and value of contracts awarded to all entities involved in the construction of school building projects in Tramore, County Waterford in the past four years; the efforts that were made to provide employment for local trades people and-or companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35709/13]

School Accommodation

Ciara Conway

91. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a full update on what efforts are being made to upgrade the accommodation at a school (details supplied) in County Waterford; if he has given due regard to the savings to his Department if a permanent building were put in place rather than the wasted expenditure incurred due to the current situation; when he expects this situation to be satisfactorily resolved and if he will provide an update on the matter. [35710/13]

Local Authority Housing Issues

Ciara Conway

774. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details, broken down by electoral area, of the number of empty local authority housing units in Waterford county and Waterford city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34663/13]

Garda Vetting Applications

Ciara Conway

917. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide, in tabular form, on a county basis the timeline for processing applications for Garda clearance from the date of initial application to the date of final decision; the measures being taken to reduce the waiting times for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35114/13]

HSE Reports

Ciara Conway

211. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the findings of the investigation following the absconsions from Gleann Álainn special care unit in October 2011 will be available; if she will provide an update and a timeline for publication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34082/13]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Conditions

Ciara Conway

220. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will allow hay to be cut a week earlier this year under the agri-environment options scheme due to the recent fodder difficulties, in view of the current good weather spell; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33712/13]

Traveller Community Issues

Ciara Conway

428. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce legislation that will provide for the recognition of Traveller ethnicity; if he will provide an update and a timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33317/13]

Animal Breeding Regulations

Ciara Conway

450. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding recent policy changes pertaining to meat-feeding licences for greyhound owners with respect to what now constitutes a breeding establishment for the purposes of the meat-feeding licence; if the obligation to hold a meat-feeding licence has now been broadened in any way to include more greyhound owners compared with previous rules and conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33153/13]

Commercial Rates Valuation Process

Ciara Conway

123. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider calls from the Waterford City Centre Business Group and other business groups and persons to place a moratorium on the rates revaluation process in Waterford City and County until after the amalgamation of Waterford City and County; the way the rates are calculated and benchmarked; if his attention has been drawn to to the fact that many businesses, in particular retailers, have been issued with proposed increases of between 30% to 150%, which is almost certainly unsustainable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31103/13]

Road Safety Issues

Ciara Conway

192. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position in relation to the current review of the CT68 form being undertaken by the Garda, the Road Safety Authority and the National Roads Authority; if he has asked the review group to consider including reference on the form to the very tragic cases where a pregnant woman is killed in a road collision and the lives of the woman and her unborn child are lost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30989/13]

Road Safety Issues

Ciara Conway

198. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for the delay of the review of the CT68 form in view of the fact that a Garda delegation was sent to Australia to examine documentation more than six years ago and that the process has been under way since 2006; if he will provide a timescale for this issue to be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30988/13]

Road Safety Issues

Ciara Conway

199. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has asked that the group, the Garda, Road Safety Authority and National Roads Authority, currently reviewing the CT68 form used by the gardaí after a serious road collision will consider including reference on the form to the very tragic cases where a pregnant woman is killed in a road collision and the lives of the woman and her unborn child are lost. [30990/13]

Road Safety Issues

Ciara Conway

200. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has asked that the group, the Garda, Road Safety Authority and National Roads Authority, currently reviewing the CT68 form used by the Garda after a serious road collision will consider including a section on the form recording hit and run cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30991/13]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

Ciara Conway

550. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health when he intends to fill posts related to areas of diabetes care in Waterford Regional Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30111/13]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

Ciara Conway

561. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health when he intends to fill posts related to areas of diabetes care in Waterford Regional Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30182/13]

Child Protection Issues

Ciara Conway

202. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the Reception and Integration Agency’s child protection policy is based on centre staff who are not RIA employees relaying a concern to the designated child protection staff member rather than the families communicating their concerns directly to the Health Service Executive or an independent body; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28393/13]

Child Protection Issues

Ciara Conway

203. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has be drawn to the circumstances whereby the vast majority of parents in direct provision do not know their children’s rights and therefore do not know when their rights are violated in accordance with Children First guidelines and that they are afraid to make referrals because they may face repercussions such as transfers from one accommodation centre to another that is equally child unfriendly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28394/13]

Inland Fisheries

Ciara Conway

155. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there appears to be no representation for commercial fishermen on the board of the IFI; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a perception amongst commercial fishermen that the board is weighted towards anglers; his views on the process of appointments to the board; if he will provide an update on any plans to redress this perceived imbalance by appointing a specific representative for Commercial Fishermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26028/13]

Youth Services Provision

Ciara Conway

211. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she is taking to protect, enhance and develop youth work services, in particular those run by Foróige in Waterford city and county; if she will commit to ringfencing the funding these services receive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26279/13]

Corporation Tax

Ciara Conway

146. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide details on the way companies other than Apple have had special arrangements with the Irish tax authorities to reduce their tax levels; if he will list these in tabular form; when these agreements were negotiated; by whom they were negotiated and under what authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25183/13]

Corporation Tax

Ciara Conway

147. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance in respect of a special tax arrangement afforded to the Apple company, if any taxpayer can seek such a reduced tax arrangement; if he will give details on the mechanism and process for deciding the special tax rate that is paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25184/13]

Corporation Tax

Ciara Conway

148. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance in respect of special tax arrangements afforded to Apple operations based here, if he will publish figures of the benefit to the Irish State of these tax arrangements; the amount the State would have stood to gain had normal tax rates been applied for each of the years this company has been operational here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25185/13]

Corporation Tax

Ciara Conway

149. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide figures on the gains to the Exchequer as a result of special tax arrangements granted to foreign direct investors here for the past ten years, as against the gain that could have been incurred were normal tax rules to have been applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25186/13]

Corporation Tax

Ciara Conway

150. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance in respect of the special arrangement afforded to the Apple company, the areas other than corporation tax that are open in the tax code for negotiation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25187/13]

Motor Tax Collection

Ciara Conway

454. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the so-called sportsman tax (details supplied); his plans to reintroduce this measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25358/13]

Fisheries Protection

Ciara Conway

457. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will commission the IFI to undertake a survey into the status of harbour eels in the Waterford estuary to establish the volume and age of eels in the area; if local fishermen could be employed to help conduct this survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24313/13]

Pension Provisions

Ciara Conway

122. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance if it is the case that a person (details supplied) in County Waterford could stand to lose their pension as is outlined; if an alternative to this is being considered; if an alternative measure will be implemented; the options open to this employee to prevent a loss of pensions' savings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23264/13]

VAT Rates Application

Ciara Conway

160. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance if he will clarify the rate of VAT on each of the following contraceptives, all types of contraceptive pill available over the counter here, in addition to contraceptive patches, implants, injectable contraception, emergency contraception, vaginal rings, implants, diaphragms, condoms, injectable and intra-uterine devices and systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21578/13]

Hospital Services

Ciara Conway

418. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health if he will identify the locations of the public obstetric units across the country which are deemed appropriate locations for any procedures that may arise out of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21577/13]

Tax Code

Ciara Conway

98. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Finance his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding administration fees; the reason it appears an administration fee is applied in the case of car exports but not in the case of the imports; if he will clarify the way this administration fee is used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20805/13]