Parliamentary questions

Universal Health Insurance White Paper

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

38. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health in view of the numbers of persons dispensing with private health insurance, if he is reviewing hiss plans for funding universal healthcare through an insurance-based system, since such a system would be heavily dependent on private health insurance companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48965/12]

Defence Forces Reserve Strength

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

2. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Defence his views on the future role of the Reserve Defence Forces [48756/12]

Defence Forces Reserve Funding

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

19. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Defence the financial supports that will be available to members of the Reserve Defence Forces into the future. [48458/12]

Defence Forces Deployment

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

29. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Defence the measures he will undertake to ensure that rural Reserve Defence Forces outposts are maintained and fully supported by permanent members of the Defence Forces. [48459/12]

Back to Education Allowance Eligibility

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

602. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review her decision to refuse back to education allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) on the basis that their proposed choice of accredited study os of a lower qualification then they already hold; her views on whether applicants should in a global labour market environment of work and career flexibility, have the option of pursuing studies that lead to an alternative career path.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48701/12]

Cyber Security Policy

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

810. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the measures that are to be undertaken by the frontline officers of an Gardaí Síochána upon receipt of a complaint about alleged cyber bullying. [48355/12]

Cyber Security Policy

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

811. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will confirm that training has been provided to all of the frontline officers of an Gardaí Síochána on the measures they are to undertake upon receipt of a complaint regarding alleged cyber bullying. [48356/12]

Hospital Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1139. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the result of the implementation of a National Directive from the Health Service Executive to reduce agency staff by 50% which has had negative implications for the nursing service and provision of care in HSE addiction services; if his attention has been drawn to the fact the directive may take three nurses leaving 6.5 nurses to deliver services in the former South West Area; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that clinical risk assessments are currently being conducted to identify the impact on patients care and the health and safety of the remaining nursing staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48340/12]

Child Detention Centres

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

39. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the timeline for ending the detention of children at St Patrick's Institution, Dublin. [46412/12]

Judicial Appointments

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

2. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to restore public confidence in the judicial appointments process in view of media revelations that as many as one third of judges here have personal or political connections to political parties before being appointed to the bench. [46417/12]

Restorative Justice

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

5. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to expand community restorative justice programmes throughout the State; and his views on the contribution these programmes can make to the overall justice system. [46414/12]

Invalidity Pension Appeals

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

114. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) and if she will review same. [46815/12]

Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

58. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce guidelines for local authorities to facilitate a transparent housing waiting list system in which applicants would have access to their own standing via a reference number. [46203/12]

Local Government Reform

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

61. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the engagement and discussions that have taken place with relevant Departments to further devolve functions to local authorities; and the functions which will be devolved. [46076/12]

IDA Site Visits

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

298. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide statistics on the number of site visits for potential investors arranged by the Industrial Development Agency on a county basis from 2002 to 2012. [46487/12]

Enterprise Ireland Investments

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

299. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide statistics on the levels of investment by Enterprise Ireland in companies on a county basis from 2002 to 2012. [46488/12]

Garda Vetting of Personnel

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

514. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied) who has had difficulties attaining employment because the Garda vetting process continues to release alleged offences and for which they were not convicted, to potential employers. [46400/12]

Cancer Incidence

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

694. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons diagnosed with any type of cancer on a county basis from 1990 through to 2012 [46492/12]

Ferry Services Provision

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

74. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to ensure the continued operation of the Greencastle-Magilligan Ferry. [45135/12]

Pilot Training Colleges

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

77. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to help the people who were let down by the pilot training college having paid large tuition fees. [45131/12]

Middle East Peace Process

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

9. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to reports from German news organisation, Der Speigel, which states that Germany is providing military submarines to Israel, which are capable of firing nuclear armed cruise missiles; and if he has raised this matter with the German Government. [44808/12]

Human Rights Issues

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

47. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the recently released Children in Military Custody report, which was sponsored by the British Foreign Office, and details the imprisonment and torture of Palestinian children by Israeli forces; if he has raised the report with the Israeli Government in view of the fact that it shows that Israel is in breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44805/12]

Invalidity Pension Eligibility

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

79. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is concerned by the refusal rate on invalidity pension applications which is exceptionally high at 87% between January and July 2012. [44560/12]

Fuel Allowance Payments

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

97. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will make additional provision by way of the partial or whole restoration of the cuts made to the fuel allowance in view of the further price hikes approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation last month. [44559/12]

Pilot Training Colleges

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

291. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when this Deputy may expect a response from him to the correspondence emailed to him on 31 July 2012 appealing to the him to take responsibility for ensuring that the young trainee pilots and their families impacted by the breakdown in the commercial relationship between the Pilot Training College in Waterford and the Florida Institute of Technology are provided with alternative training at no additional cost that enables them to attain their pilots licence. [44710/12]

Army Barracks Closures

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

476. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he will issue a response to this Deputy to my query (details supplied) seeking to clarify if he had issued any electronic mail to his constituency members or constituents, welcoming the move of personnel from McKee Barracks in North Dublin to Cathal Brugha Barracks in South Dublin. [44715/12]

Hospital Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

677. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on overall staff levels at every individual hospital in the State for 2010 and 2011; and if he will ensure that a full and substantive reply is included in his reply and that the reply does not consist only of a direction to a specific website. [44707/12]

Hospital Services

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

686. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health following a recent Hydrocephalus information day in County Donegal, it emerged that there is no emergency plan in place from Letterkenny Hospital to Beaumont or Temple Street hospitals, Dublin, when a child with a problem relating to their Hydrocephalus and that there needs to be links between these hospitals to make sure that services in an emergency situation are coordinated as time is an important factor in these situations; his plans to rectify this issue [44752/12]

Health Services Provision

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

687. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health his plans to resource the much needed support for persons living with Huntington's disease (details supplied) [44753/12]

Health Services Provision

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

688. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Donegal that have been diagnosed with Huntington's disease [44754/12]

Health Services Provision

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

689. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons countrywide that have been diagnosed with Huntington's disease [44755/12]

Public Sector Staff Grades Review

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

32. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on his review of the grading structure of the civil service and public service; and if he intends to reduce the number of management grades. [43492/12]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Pádraig MacLochlainn

64. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to the figures (details supplied) which show that 112,821 pupils were in classes of 30 or more for the last school year; and his plans to address the rise in primary school class sizes and increase in pupil teacher ratios resulting from cutbacks and an increasing school population. [43104/12]

Public Sector Staff Sick Leave

Pádraig MacLochlainn

95. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills the start date for the introduction of changes to teachers' uncertified sick pay; and if he will provide an update on the precise arrangements for transferring from seven days per school year to seven days in a rolling twenty-four month period. [43103/12]

Departmental Agencies Issues

Pádraig MacLochlainn

299. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason behind his proposal to merge the State Laboratory and Forensic Laboratory and move it to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39331/12]

Departmental Agencies Issues

Pádraig MacLochlainn

300. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that moving the Forensic Laboratory to his Department will result in a reduction of their ability to work effectively with their partners in the criminal justice system including the Garda Technical Bureau, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Criminal Courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39332/12]

Residency Permits

Pádraig MacLochlainn

457. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of children of migrant workers between the ages of 16 and 24 who are currently registered in the State and a breakdown of the types of residency stamps issued to these children. [42859/12]

Garda Disciplinary Proceedings

Pádraig MacLochlainn

469. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if it is the policy of An Garda Síochána to waive disciplinary measures against an officer if that officer avails of early retirement and if it is not the policy, if he will seek an absolute assurance from the Garda Commissioner that no officer that has availed of early retirement over recent years or has made an application for early retirement was under investigation or facing disciplinary measures. [42971/12]

Citizenship Applications

Pádraig MacLochlainn

470. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons awaiting a decision on their application for Irish citizenship when he took office; the average waiting time for a decision on their application; the number of people currently awaiting a decision and the current waiting time for a decision. [42972/12]

Citizenship Applications

Pádraig MacLochlainn

471. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality since he took office, the number of people applying for Irish citizenship that have had their application approved or refused. [42973/12]

Departmental Staff Recruitment

Pádraig MacLochlainn

472. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality since he took office, the number of internees that have been recruited to his Department including those processing applications for Irish citizenship; the number been offered permanent posts and the number of currently working in the Department. [42974/12]

Ministerial Correspondence

Pádraig MacLochlainn

626. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm if his office has received a request to meet public representatives from County Donegal on the future of Letterkenny General Hospital; and when he will facilitate that meeting [42976/12]

Hospital Services

Pádraig MacLochlainn

627. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the number of in-patient discharges in every individual hospital in the State for 2010 and 2011 [42977/12]

Hospital Staff Issues

Pádraig MacLochlainn

628. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on overall staff levels at every individual hospital in the State for 2010 and 2011 [42978/12]

Hospital Services

Pádraig MacLochlainn

629. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on the budget of every individual hospital in the State for 2010 and 2011 [42979/12]

Hospital Services

Pádraig MacLochlainn

630. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on the position of Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal, on the Health stat table of efficiency for 2010 and 2011 [42980/12]

Tax Reliefs Availability

Pádraig MacLochlainn

56. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Finance if he will list what is considered deductible for tax purposes for those self-declaring annual returns. [42263/12]

Cruthú Fostaíochta

Pádraig MacLochlainn

19. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn den Aire Ealaíon; Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cé mhéid post nua a raibh sé mar sprioc ag Údarás na Gaeltachta iad a chruthú, ag tús na bliana; agus cé mhéid acu atá cruthaithe go dtí seo. [41969/12]

Heritage Council Expenditure

Pádraig MacLochlainn

31. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to promote best practice in the care of collections and to improve visitor experience in museums; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42025/12]

Industrial Development

Pádraig MacLochlainn

51. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the steps he is taking to address the loss of more than 10,000 jobs in the border region since taking office. [41599/12]