Parliamentary questions

Local Authority Housing Data

Jan O'Sullivan

195. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of void local authority units that have been brought back into use as a result of funding schemes from his Department for this specific purpose in each of the years 2013 to 2016; the system of monitoring in place to ensure that each local authority uses the scheme effectively to address the shortage of housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22991/16]

Planning Issues

Jan O'Sullivan

365. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to implement measures whereby planning applications for large housing developments will go directly to An Bord Pleanála rather than to the local authority in the first instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22573/16]

Public Procurement Regulations

Jan O'Sullivan

510. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will introduce measures to include social value issues in public procurement; if, in advance of such a measure, he will delay the tender for public libraries that is due to be conducted by the education procurement service to incorporate such a provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22278/16]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Jan O'Sullivan

917. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has had discussions with representatives of child care providers regarding the grant funding agreement for the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme that has been forwarded to them for signing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22381/16]

After-School Support Services

Jan O'Sullivan

822. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will maintain an after-school literacy programme for vulnerable children (details supplied) under the childhood development initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21144/16]

Waste Tyre Disposal

Jan O'Sullivan

122. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the commencement date for a new end-of-life waste tyre compliance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20334/16]

Schools Building Projects Status

Jan O'Sullivan

96. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the progress with a school (details supplied) including when he will complete this much needed and awaited project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19916/16]

Waste Disposal Charges

Jan O'Sullivan

115. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if householders who are already serviced by a pay-by-weight collection system are protected from increases in charges under the agreement he has made with waste companies; if he is aware that letters have been sent indicating that such customers will have their charges raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19912/16]

Local Authority Staff Data

Jan O'Sullivan

117. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of the extra 420 local authority staff who have been appointed to work on the delivery of the social housing strategy, by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19915/16]

Community Development Projects

Jan O'Sullivan

119. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide funding for an organisation (details supplied) under the support scheme for national organisations, given that it scored higher than the recommended level for funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19923/16]

Appointments to State Boards

Jan O'Sullivan

128. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are vacancies on the board of the Citizens Information Board; if so, when he proposes to fill these vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19917/16]

Flood Risk Insurance Cover Provision

Jan O'Sullivan

175. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has received proposals from the interdepartmental flood policy co-ordination group with regard to access to affordable insurance for those householders who have difficulty accessing such insurance to cover flooding damage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19920/16]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Jan O'Sullivan

244. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there will be a delay in rolling out the national broadband contract; the reason for and extent of such a delay; if he will take action to speed up the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19911/16]

School Completion Programme

Jan O'Sullivan

262. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs for clarification on who are the employers of the staff in school completion projects, given the confusion as to whether staff are employed by education and training boards or by local management committees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19921/16]

Housing Assistance Payments Implementation

Jan O'Sullivan

250. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider extending the homeless housing assistance payment scheme pilot to other cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19524/16]

Local Authority Housing Funding

Jan O'Sullivan

251. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of approvals that have been given to local authorities under the streamlining process for funding whereby developments of social housing with 15 units or less or of under €2 million in cost entail only a single funding submission; if he has discussed this process with local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19526/16]

Local Authority Housing Mortgages

Jan O'Sullivan

252. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of local authority mortgage loans that have been approved through local authority schemes, including the home choice loan scheme, in 2015 and to date in 2016; his views on the fact that loans administered by local authorities can play a greater role in accessing mortgages for middle income households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19527/16]

Waste Disposal Charges

Jan O'Sullivan

253. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if, in the context of his discussions with waste collection companies, he will allow areas that currently include bag collection to continue to do so until there is a resolution to the issue of high standing charges as that charge is generally incorporated into the price of the bag and many elderly persons put bags out infrequently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19529/16]

Local Improvement Scheme Funding

Jan O'Sullivan

258. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to make funding available to local authorities in 2016 under the 80:20 local improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18951/16]

School Curriculum

Jan O'Sullivan

160. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the removal of rule 68 from the Rules for National Schools; the progress he hopes to make in amending the rules to reflect the changes here since they were written; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16726/16]

School Completion Programme

Jan O'Sullivan

283. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs why Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has issued a directive stating that the monitoring of school attendance is no longer deemed to be part of the school completion programme and responsibility has now transferred to the school itself; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16405/16]

Legislative Measures

Jan O'Sullivan

225. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the action she will take to legislate to introduce collective bargaining rights for freelance workers, in view of the Private Members' motion passed in Dáil Éireann on 2 June, and in the context of Ireland's failure to give effect to International Labour Organization conventions on the right of freelance workers to bargain collectively with their employer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15263/16]

Ministerial Responsibilities

Jan O'Sullivan

17. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the responsibilities and reserved functions of each of the Ministers of State who are attached to his Department; why no Minister of State has special responsibility for the roll-out of an enhanced primary care service; and which Minister will have responsibility for delivering this critical policy. [13733/16]

Health Care Policy

Jan O'Sullivan

107. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will make available all of the documentation provided by officials in his Department to Independent Deputies during the course of negotiations for the new programme for Government; the clinical analysis that was undertaken by his officials before any of these measures were agreed; and his views on the impact on national health policy of local agreements, which may not take full cognisance of national health policy considerations and best clinical practice. [13732/16]

Third Level Admissions Assistance

Jan O'Sullivan

178. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person who got the necessary points for a higher education place following a recheck, but got the information too late to take the place and has therefore deferred it, can retain the option of the place while also making a new application to the Central Applications Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14171/16]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Jan O'Sullivan

229. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a child born in December 2012 will be entitled to two years in the free early childhood care and education scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13974/16]

Departmental Agencies Board Appointments

Jan O'Sullivan

230. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the names and experience of those persons recently appointed to the board of management of Oberstown detention centre, County Dublin; the number of applicants for these positions via the stateboards.ie website; the criteria she used to determine eligibility for appointment; the number of applicants recommended for consideration by the Public Appointments Service; if the service recommended each member who was appointed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13975/16]

Legislative Programme

Jan O'Sullivan

19. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his intentions on progressing the Technological Universities Bill; if he will change the requirement for the merger of institutions in order to achieve technological university status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10838/16]