Parliamentary questions

Hospital Staff Recruitment

John Halligan

632. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm the official figure for spend on agency staff within Waterford University Hospital, formerly Waterford Regional Hospital, for the years 2013 and to date in 2014; if his Department has any plans to lift the moratorium on recruitment within the sector and to advertise full-time positions to ensure staffing within the hospital is at the correct level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27203/14]

Schools Building Projects Status

John Halligan

3. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether best practice has been used by his Department regarding the length of time a school (details supplied) has been waiting to be placed on a buildings project list; if he will acknowledge it is utterly unacceptable that this school has been waiting patiently for 29 years in prefabricated accommodation for permanent structures to be provided for its students; his views on whether the circa €1.8 million spent renting and maintaining these prefabricated structures represents value for taxpayers' money, especially when the estimated amount to construct permanent structures on this site would have been less than that figure; if he will acknowledge further that this school already owns its own site, has full planning permission for construction and is ready to proceed; if he also will acknowledge this school has waited longer than any other school in the country and should be on top of his list; if he will commit to adding this school to the current buildings project list without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23539/14]

Summer Works Scheme Expenditure

John Halligan

6. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to his recent announcements regarding school improvements under the summer works scheme, in which only applications within categories 1 to 3, inclusive, 5 and 6 have received funding, if his Department has any plans to make any further announcements regarding applications received within the other categories; if he will be in a position to make any further funding available to cover unsuccessful applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23358/14]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

John Halligan

10. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the serious issue of large class sizes within the education system; his views on whether the current pupil-teacher ratio is far in excess of where it needs to be in order to provide a comprehensive education to our young students; the way our pupil-teacher ratio compares with other EU member states; if he will make a firm commitment to reduce the ratio over the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23359/14]

School Enrolments

John Halligan

39. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will be making a formal decision in relation to school enrolment policy; when we can expect to see legislative proposals; if he will be broadly following in the UK's footsteps by bringing enrolment policy in line with postcodes, now that we are to be allocated postcodes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23361/14]

Special Educational Needs Expenditure

John Halligan

42. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he or his Department has plans to make additional funding available for psychological services and employment of special needs assistants within the system; his views on whether cutbacks to the services over the past few years have resulted in hundreds of students who are in desperate need of assistance failing to qualify for same; if he will acknowledge that in order to create a calm and productive educational environment for all students, those both with and without special needs requirements, it is vital that all students who require assistance are provided with same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23360/14]

Commission for Energy Regulation

John Halligan

494. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources following the establishment of the Commission for Energy Regulation, the extent of the authority this body has to direct energy providers to make changes to its processes and its dealings with customers based on its findings; if there is a penalty for non-compliance with the directions of the CER where it has found in favour of a complainant and advised an energy provider to implement its decisions; the number of complaints in relation to Electric Ireland that have been received by the CER since its establishment; his views regarding a case (details supplied) where Electric Ireland executives refused to respond directly to a customer's complaint and further to this declined to implement the findings of the CER following a formal complaint and assessment of Electric Ireland's dealings with a complainant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22591/14]

Television Licence Fee Collection

John Halligan

670. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will confirm in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 the number of persons that were convicted for non-payment of their television licences; if she plans to follow the recent precedent set within UK courts not to prosecute persons for such offences; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22587/14]

Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage

John Halligan

787. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the details of a case (details supplied) where a patient who has recently undergone a serious medical procedure now finds that the items-products required to aid their recovery are not covered by either their medical card or the drug refund scheme and the personal cost of same is prohibitive; if he and his Department have any current plans to review the lists of products and medications covered by medical cards and the DRS; his plans to lift the Health Service Executive embargo on new products being added to these lists; if he will acknowledge that there are many other products and treatments regularly prescribed by GPs and consultants that should be added to the lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22590/14]

HSE Legal Cases

John Halligan

3. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the cost of medical negligence claims to the State in 2013; the amount of that sum that went on legal fees for those defending the Health Service Executive; his views on whether, in cases of negligence at birth, the HSE has a tactical policy of deliberately delaying or withholding admission of liability, resulting in a lengthy litigation process for vulnerable families; his views on whether a radical overhaul is needed of the way clinical negligence is managed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21354/14]

Hospital Services

John Halligan

29. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm the assurances given by him and his Department that certain services would be retained by Waterford Regional Hospital and reinforced by the move to hospital trusts; the original timeframe given in relation to these assurances; his views that the lack of progress in this area is raising serious concerns in the local community in relation to the move from WRH to the establishment of hospital groups and the transition then to independent hospital trusts; if he will reiterate his promise to the people of Waterford and the south-east region that WRH will continue as the hub for the south-east renal services and will continue to be a regional trauma centre; if he will ensure WRH continues to provide the full range of elective and trauma orthopaedic services and invasive cardiology services and will also implement a 24-7 cardiology service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21145/14]

Hospital Staff Data

John Halligan

33. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if the physiotherapy posts in Waterford Regional Hospital have been filled; the number of persons working within the unit; if he will confirm on average the number of patients that come under their remit; the average waiting times for patients; his views on whether these are acceptable timeframes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21147/14]

Accident and Emergency Department Waiting Times

John Halligan

55. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the current average waiting time, compared with last year, for patients on trolleys before they are admitted to Waterford Regional Hospital; the extent to which these waiting times have improved; his views on whether sufficient improvements have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21146/14]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

John Halligan

59. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Waterford Regional Hospital is currently struggling to cope with lists of patients waiting to be seen and-or awaiting medical procedures, as the hospital is operating without a full complement of consultants; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that both the dermatology and urology departments currently have no consultants and that many other departments have limited cover; his plans to ensure the vacant positions are filled as soon as possible; if he will confirm that the reason consultants are not taking up these positions is that the remuneration packages being offered are well below the national average for identical positions within the health system and are simply not attractive to potential candidates; if he agrees that in order to attract competent professionals to take up these positions, the package offered needs to be in line with the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21144/14]

Hospital Waiting Lists

John Halligan

166. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the current status of circa 5,000 patients who were outsourced from Waterford Regional Hospital, WRH, in the past year; the facilities to which these patients were outsourced; the number of these patients who have received their recommended complement of procedures in full; the number of these patients who are currently in the process of completing their treatment; the number still waiting to be seen at the facilities to which they have been outsourced; if any of the patients' case files have been returned to the remit of WRH; if he is confident that the decision to outsource these patients resulted in the most efficient and complete episode of care possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21355/14]

Community Radio Stations Funding

John Halligan

123. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the fact that community radio stations make a major contribution to life in local areas across the country and that they are currently struggling to survive due to both the current economic climate and the many cutbacks to funding, his plans to address the shortfall in their funding and to offer a more substantial level of support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19945/14]

Electricity Transmission Network

John Halligan

129. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to previous questions in relation to EirGrid's plans to install overhead pylons in County Waterford and other areas of the countryside, where this process now stands; if his Department has taken steps to request an international assessment of EirGrid's proposal; if EirGrid has consulted with him following the initial consultation process; the outcome of these discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19944/14]

Insurance Industry

John Halligan

155. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance if he is monitoring the situation regarding the collapse of Setanta Insurance which is affecting over 75,000 Irish citizens, some of whom have been left without cover or reimbursement for premiums paid and others who have been left uncovered during claim proceedings; if his Department has plans or authority to intervene in the situation in view of the fact that the European Commission is to investigate the closure and indeed the EU legislation which allowed it to sell insurance here; if he has sought clarification from the Financial Regulator here regarding this foreign regulation; if he will be sending a representative from his Department to represent Irish interests at the meeting of creditors being held in Malta next week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20123/14]

Mobile Telephony Services Provision

John Halligan

273. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department has investigated the high charges imposed by mobile telephone providers here; his views on whether the charges are excessively high in direct comparison with the rest of mainland Europe; if he will now commit to addressing the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19946/14]

Job Creation

John Halligan

3. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale behind taxing income gained through employment on Tús programmes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17796/14]

Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

John Halligan

5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection the way rent allowance limits can differ so drastically by county and in local areas throughout the country, particularly in Waterford where the rent allowance limits are so much lower than in the neighbouring county of Kilkenny (details supplied); her views on whether the current rent limits brought in to run from June 2013 to December 2014 accurately reflect the recent rise in rents charged by landlords and whether this is resulting in a serious lack of availability of rental accommodation which would comply with the rental limits making it almost impossible for applicants to comply with the regulations; her views on whether the current rental limits need to be radically reviewed in line with local rents payable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17797/14]

Rent Supplement Scheme Applications

John Halligan

25. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she and her Department are taking to address the delays in processing rent allowance applications; if there are staffing issues here that could be resolved; her views that delays of this magnitude are placing undue hardship on families waiting for approval; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17575/14]

Social Welfare Schemes

John Halligan

27. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection the way the medical assessment criteria differ for certain applications within her Department, particularly in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17574/14]

Family Income Supplement Applications

John Halligan

35. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to review the family income supplement renewal process (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17576/14]

Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility

John Halligan

81. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to revise the criteria associated with applications for jobseeker's assistance where the applicant has been self-employed; the current application process sees such applications fully means tested with no automatic entitlement to a set period of payment unlike applications from their PAYE counterparts; if she will confirm if she has entered into discussions with ISME in relation to its recent calls for this current method of assessment to be addressed; if she has considered the possibility for self-employed persons or proprietary company directors paying a higher rate of PAYE contributions to ensure they have entitlements to social welfare assistance should their business fail; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17798/14]

National Internship Scheme Eligibility

John Halligan

100. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to revise the criteria for eligibility to make an application for internships; her views on whether adults currently dependent on their partners' claims and who are not permitted to take up internships would like to be permitted to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14507/14]

Community Development Initiatives

John Halligan

689. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans regarding the aligning of community projects like Waterford Traveller Community Development Project; the number of social inclusion officers that will be available to Waterford City Council to cover city and council areas (details supplied). [13488/14]

Higher Education Schemes

John Halligan

63. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he or his Department considered linking the requirements of those persons engaged in Springboard courses to the possible provision of State-supported child care facilities; if he will acknowledge that vast numbers of people are forced to relinquish places on such courses as they are unable to make provision for their child care needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12243/14]

Schools Building Projects Expenditure

John Halligan

65. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 245 of 18 February 2014, if he will clarify the following discrepancies, €26 million difference between the figure noted in his reply to my question and the budget allocation noted on page 2 of the Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016; 50 school projects going into construction announced in press release December 2012 announcing the 2013 capital investment, 56 school projects scheduled for 2012 announced in December, 2011 and this year 70 school building projects announced in December 2013; the exact number of school building projects planned under the CIP 2012-2016; the number of these projects that have been shelved for various reasons; what new projects have been added to the list to replace them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12282/14]

Garda Recruitment

John Halligan

143. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria laid down for entrance to An Garda Síochána; the system used to shortlist the approximately 30,000 applications received for the recently advertised positions to 14,000; if any applicants who were already engaged in the reserve force were given any priority during this process; the number of applications if any received from outside Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12244/14]

Naturalisation Applications

John Halligan

151. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in the case of a person (details supplied), if he will confirm where an applicant for naturalisation holds a valid stamp 4, if the applicant may apply to have their stamp 4 permission amended to another basis prior to the expiry date of their current permission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12347/14]

Garda Investigations

John Halligan

429. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the timeframe in which An Garda Síochána is currently forensically examining computer equipment following removal; the length of time it is taking for the risk assessments relating to child pornography cases to be processed; if he or his Department have looked into the possibility of allocating additional staff to speed up the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12060/14]

Medicinal Products Prices

John Halligan

561. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health his understanding of the pricing structure of generic drugs as in certain chemists in County Waterford these so-called generic medications seem to be as costly as their named brand counterparts; his views on whether the pricing structure of medication should be on a par throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12061/14]

Educational Disadvantage

John Halligan

270. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the circular or policy document that prompted his Department to subsume concessionary legacy posts where the schools in question showed that their enrolment had risen to a level to warrant an additional teacher; his views that this move only penalises these schools; his views that not to directly notify the DEIS 2 schools which still held their CLP that they were in danger of losing same were their enrolment to exceed a certain level shows a serious lack of transparency; his further views that this move will undoubtedly result in the unnecessary displacement of many children within these schools; that the decision to remove these posts is in direct contradiction of the DEIS report which recently praised the scheme and outlined how well DEIS as a model is working; if he will review the situation with a view to reversing the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9102/14]

Financial Services Ombudsman

John Halligan

220. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to a case in which a bank (details supplied) in County Waterford is refusing to acknowledge receipt of or to apply a TRS payment to a mortgage holder's account even though the Revenue Commissioners' TRS section has confirmed to the mortgage holder that the payment was made to the bank on the person's behalf; if his attention has been drawn to any similar instances; the action he and his Department will take in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8227/14]

Schools Building Projects Expenditure

John Halligan

245. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of 2013 building projects that have been completed; if any of these projects were completed under budget; if he will consider making any of the unspent funds available to schools with delayed projects such as a school (details supplied) which is waiting to be added to a buildings programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7557/14]

Summer Works Scheme Eligibility

John Halligan

289. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason colleges of further education are not now eligible to apply to his Department for funding under Circular 59/2013; when and the reason their eligibility ceased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8225/14]

Building Regulations Amendments

John Halligan

523. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013, SI No. 80 of 2013, which are due to come into force on 1 March 2014, will expressly prohibit Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists, CIAT, members from providing architectural services here; if he will acknowledge that members of this group have the necessary experience, knowledge and skills and should be, therefore, eligible to register with the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland as an interim measure until CIAT members are granted a register in their own right; if he will acknowledge that failure to grant them eligibility will ultimately result in many unnecessary business closures and redundancies across the industry; in view of the fact that he has the authority to extend the regulations to include a register for chartered architectural technologists if he will commit to reviewing the parameters of the register with a view to admitting members of CIAT to it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8226/14]

Hospital Staff

John Halligan

690. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm the number of persons currently employed at Waterford Regional Hospital under the JobBridge scheme; the type of positions they hold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7556/14]

Inter-Country Adoptions

John Halligan

5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will review an application to the Adoption Authority of Ireland for the registration of a child adopted from Vietnam in October 2012 who is now registered and residing here (details supplied); if she will confirm that at the time of this adoption both Vietnam and Ireland had signed up to the Hague Convention and a bilateral agreement that had been put in place by her; if she will consider directing the Adoption Authority of Ireland to progress the registration of this child on the basis that its parents were in full compliance with the 1991 Act in view of the adoption process having begun prior to the 2010 Act being introduced (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6695/14]

Inland Fisheries Stocks

John Halligan

350. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to this Deputy's various recent questions and in view of the recent positive reports from Inland Fisheries Ireland, which has agreed that eel stocks in the Suir and Barrow rivers could sustain a commercial harvest (details supplied), if he will now reconsider the eel ban in the Waterford-New Ross district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6436/14]

Anti-Social Behaviour

John Halligan

382. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm the number of anti-social behaviour officers currently employed in counties and cities here; the cost to his Department of same in the past year; the number of successful prosecutions that have been brought before the courts in each county as a result of anti-social behaviour complaints; and of those the number of properties that were taken back into the housing pool; if he is satisfied that the system in place to deal with anti-social behavioural problems within local authority housing areas is working; if his Department has any current plans to make any alternative proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6435/14]

Hospital Waiting Lists

John Halligan

596. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm for the months, November 2013, December 2013 and January 2014, the number of persons that were left waiting on trolleys for more than12 hours prior to being given a bed; the way these figures compare to the same months in the preceding year; his views on whether the Health Service Executive is providing a sufficient level of care to the public here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6434/14]

City of Culture Initiative

John Halligan

5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the current selection process or nomination process involved in the selection of Ireland's city of culture; if he will consider granting Waterford the status of the next city of culture; the formal representations Waterford city would need to make to his Department in this regard; if he or his Department has thus far given any consideration to choosing the next city of culture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4342/14]

Appointments to State Boards

John Halligan

91. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to appoint a new chairman to the Arts Council; considering the vast investment that individual local authorities make to the arts in their respective local areas from their annual budget, which in most cases is way in excess of the sum they receive from the Arts Council, and further considering that these local authorities have been appointing arts officers for more than 25 years, his views on whether representatives of these local authorities should be appointed to the board of the Arts Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4388/14]

Hospitals Expenditure

John Halligan

685. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 219 of 5 December 2013, the exact breakdown on where the funds collected from parking facilities at Waterford Regional Hospital were allocated; if any of the funds were used to top-up salaries for executives associated with the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3621/14]

Job Creation

John Halligan

5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to outline the number of jobs created by IDA Ireland in County Waterford in 2013; the net increase or decrease in the number of jobs created in 2012; if he considers this figure to reflect a success under the target set out in the Horizon 2020 document for regional development, which aims for 50% of all jobs created through the IDA's dealings in 2013 to be located outside of Dublin and Cork; his plans to review the targets originally set out in the Horizon 2020 document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3181/14]

Illicit Trade in Tobacco

John Halligan

78. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance the number of illicit cigarettes that have been seized by the Revenue Commissioners and Garda in 2013; if this represents either an increase or decrease in the number of illicit cigarettes seized by the Customs Service since 2012; the inroads the Department has made in combating this issue; the level of funding allocated to stamping out the smuggling of illicit cigarettes into the State; his views on whether the Department and all other associated Departments and agencies involved in the tracking down and seizing of these goods are becoming more successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54665/13]

Family Income Supplement Payments

John Halligan

134. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 140 of 24 October 2013, in which this Deputy requested details of the number of public service workers currently supplementing their income with family income supplement payments, if she will provide a further breakdown the 3,595 public service workers in receipt of FIS in the year 2013; the number of same that are members of the armed forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54670/13]

Hospital Services

John Halligan

246. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health following on from various commitments and promises made to the people of Waterford in relation to the change of Waterford Regional Hospital to Waterford University Hospital as the proposed second largest hospital in the southern group, when WUH can expect to see a fulfilment of the guarantee of service given by him and his Department in the recent reconfiguration announcements, where 24-7 cardiology treatment was promised; when the necessary capital expenditure to provide and additional cath lab and a staff compliment of five cardiologists and allied supporting staff will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54666/13]