Parliamentary questions

Carer's Allowance Applications

Róisín Shortall

593. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath. [48643/12]

Disability Allowance Appeals

Róisín Shortall

596. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal for disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if she could expedite a decision on same. [48680/12]

Carer's Allowance Applications

Róisín Shortall

597. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if she will expedite on same. [48683/12]

Carer's Allowance Applications

Róisín Shortall

599. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on an application for carer's allowance will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if she will expedite the matter. [48695/12]

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Róisín Shortall

600. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11. [48697/12]

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Róisín Shortall

601. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9. [48698/12]

Household Charge Cost

Róisín Shortall

674. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if pensioners who have availed of equity release schemes are liable for the household charge on the basis that the houses are effectively owned by the financial bodies concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47659/12]

Waste Disposal

Róisín Shortall

705. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding bin waivers for low income households; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that private waste collection companies are now executing orders to customers for payments which require high up-front payments; if he will outline the assistance available to low income households who are unable to pay such high costs for this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47991/12]

Illegal Dumping

Róisín Shortall

706. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied with the service being provided by private contractors providing domestic refuse collection, specifically a company (details supplied); if he has received many complaints regarding poor customer service and repeated missed waste collections; where the standards are clearly not being adhered to, if he will consider some sort of local appeal system and a request for this service to establish a dedicated Oireachtas help line in view of the volume of complaints local representatives have received since the privatisation of this service. [47992/12]

Youth Services

Róisín Shortall

961. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason for withdrawing funding from a project (details supplied) in Dublin 11; her plans, if any, to ensure that the work of this valuable service is continued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47988/12]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme

Róisín Shortall

1075. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his policy regarding the nursing homes support scheme (NHSS) in respect of a persons when an ancillary State support loan is not possible as the homeowner has availed of an equity release scheme; the assistance is available in such instances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48041/12]

Speech and Language Therapy

Róisín Shortall

1175. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding speech and language therapy in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48641/12]

Speech and Language Therapy

Róisín Shortall

1176. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding speech and language therapy in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48642/12]

Taxi Regulations

Róisín Shortall

1217. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the on-going concerns expressed by taxi drivers and owners in relation to such issues as the introduction of the nine year rule and the difficulty therein without the establishment of a workable taxi scrappage scheme; the reason the vetting system has not been overhauled despite concerns regarding public safety issues in the industry; the reason an independent appeals process has not been granted despite previous promises to give the taxi industry access to the Ombudsman's office; the reason the Taxi Advisory Council was re-appointed to the exclusion of elected representative from the taxi industry and the failure therefore to establish a meaningful forum for dialogue within the industry; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are concerns that the introduction of a SPSV penalty point system will unduly affect full time taxi drivers; and if his attention has been drawn to the anomalies such as an influx of part-time taxi drivers and students on Stamp 2 Visas into the industry. [48089/12]

Taxi Regulations

Róisín Shortall

1218. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a single licence holder is prohibited from transferring their taxi licence whilst a multiple licence holder can transfer their plates into company names allowing them to pass on their plates as an asset of a company. [48090/12]

Sports Capital Programme Applications

Róisín Shortall

1239. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the objective criteria that will be used to assess sports capital grant applications to ensure that allocations are fairly distributed across the country, according to sporting need. [48699/12]

Pension Provisions

Róisín Shortall

57. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance if he will review the legislative provisions which restrict a holder of pension bond to access the funds prior to their fiftieth birthday; if he proposes to include financial hardship as one such ground for accessing funds at an early stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47004/12]

Public Sector Pensions Issues

Róisín Shortall

85. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties in accessing a transition pension for members of the Civil Service who are due to retire aged 65 in January 2014, but who are unable to avail of a transition pension as it is also due to be abolished in January 2014; the alternative options available to civil servants affected by this anomaly, and if she will ensure that any such options are promoted in an open and transparent fashion for the benefit of those affected. [46568/12]

Security of the Elderly

Róisín Shortall

424. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of funding being provided this year for the senior alerts scheme 2012; the amount of funding provided for the same or similar scheme in the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; his plans to provide further funding in 2012 for the senior alert scheme in view of the importance of this scheme to the security and well being of older persons; and the demand for the scheme. [45875/12]

Medical Treatment Complaints

Róisín Shortall

688. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the action taken in response to complaints from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 in respect of the medical treatment they have received to date and the assistance which will be provided in order to resolve their health problems [46398/12]

Pension Provisions

Róisín Shortall

102. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance in respect of Appendix D of the Green Paper on Pensions, if he will provide the same information in respect of Personal Retirement Savings Accounts and Retirement Annuity Contracts for the latest year for which figures are available. [45546/12]

Mortgage Interest Rates Issues

Róisín Shortall

169. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance his views on the recent decision by Allied Irish Bank to increase the interest rates on their variable rate mortgages; if he has had any contact with the bank since the decision was made; and his views on whether this decision will further add to the problem of mortgage arrears. [44171/12]

Carer's Allowance Applications

Róisín Shortall

347. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 and to indicate when a decision will issue. [44712/12]

Inter-Country Adoptions

Róisín Shortall

560. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if details of the agreement on intercountry adoption between Ireland and Vietnam are available in the public domain; her plans to publish same; if she will outline the eligibility criteria set out under the terms of the agreement, specifically with regard to timeframe and age limit requirements. [44172/12]

Health Services Access

Róisín Shortall

611. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties accessing hydrotherapy at a location (details supplied); if he will outline the alternative facilities that will accommodate patients in need of this facility; and if he will ensure that a person will be facilitated without delay [44188/12]

Medical Aids and Appliances Applications

Róisín Shortall

652. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay regarding an appliance request in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 [44499/12]

Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists

Róisín Shortall

678. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the waiting times for orthodontic treatment for young persons in the Orthodontic Service, Mill House, Ashtown Gate, Navan Road, Dublin; his plans to deal with the situation in conjunction with the Health Service Executive and local staff; and with regard to a child (details supplied) in Dublin 9 that he will outline when this child may expect to receive treatment [44711/12]

Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme Numbers

Róisín Shortall

282. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will qualify for a VTOS course. [43479/12]