Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Public Sector Staff Issues

John Halligan

27. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to maintain frontline services in view of his plans for targeted voluntary redundancies in the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43500/12]

School Staffing

John Halligan

66. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has any concerns that cuts on newly qualified teachers will have a detrimental effect on both their morale and the willingness of young persons to enter such a low paid profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43050/12]

Teachers' Remuneration

John Halligan

109. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline his ideas for restructuring teachers' pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43049/12]

School Transport Availability

John Halligan

221. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reconsider reinstating the entitlement of some 20 children (details supplied) to qualify for transportation under the school transport scheme in the 2012/2013 school year; the monetary savings that would be made arising from changes to the school transport scheme in respect of these 20 pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32498/12]

Education Policy

John Halligan

222. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the resources that are being put in place to ensure that every child in the State, regardless of ability, can access education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33394/12]

Ground Rents Abolition

John Halligan

446. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality notwithstanding either the provisions contained in Part III of the Landlord and Tenant (Grounds Rents) (No. 2) Act 1978 which contains a statutory scheme whereby the fee simple interest in lands upon which a dwelling is constructed may be purchased by the property owner, or the abandoned 1997 Fianna Fáil PMM - the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rent Abolition) Bill which at the time received the support of Dáil Éireann and was referred to the Select Committee on Equality and Law Reform, his plans to bring forward further legislation to entirely abolish the requirement to pay these ground rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42717/12]

Hospitals Building Programme

John Halligan

679. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 568 of 2 October 2012 regarding the €1.5 million which was allocated for construction and development work at the Department of Psychiatry at Waterford Regional Hospital under the Acute Mental Health Services Reconfiguration Plan outlined in 2010, if he will clarify that although there has been an aesthetic improvement to the facilities in the DOP with the addition of a small garden, the reason no additional floor space or service user resources were provided with the funding; the reason the bulk of the funding allocated was spent on administration offices and tribunal offices which will not be in regular use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43322/12]

Tax Collection

John Halligan

35. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider a wealth tax as an alternative to property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42324/12]

Tax Code

John Halligan

60. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider higher taxes on incomes of more than €100,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42284/12]

University Status

John Halligan

148. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there have been any further developments in relation to the south east and in particular Waterford Regional Technical College being granted university status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41341/12]

IDA Jobs Data

John Halligan

228. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs and opportunities that have been created by the Industrial Development Agency for Waterford City and County within the past 18 months; the way these figures compare with job creation levels in cities and counties such as Limerick, Cork and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41347/12]

Jobseeker's Allowance Applications

John Halligan

275. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding leeway in the means testing of jobseeker's allowance (details supplied). [41398/12]

Local Authority Services

John Halligan

379. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will clarify for Dáil Éireann the plans he has for the potential merger of services within Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council; when these plans will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41870/12]

Local Authority Services

John Halligan

380. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the level the numbers of currently elected council members on both Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council will potentially be reduced to; the estimated timeframe for any potential changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41873/12]

Mental Health Services Provision

John Halligan

568. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health when day clinics, home based treatment facilities and additional staff will be provided to the Mental Health Services in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41885/12]

Hospital Consultants Remuneration

John Halligan

33. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the reason the issue of private practice was not on the table for negotiations with the consultants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41011/12]

Health Services Provision

John Halligan

58. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding surgical equipment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40793/12]

Severe Weather Events

John Halligan

48. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the recent announcement by the Irish Farmers Association that inclement weather may cause yields to be reduced by up to 25% or the loss of 500,00 tons in potential grain production which could potentially leave the sector down an estimated €100 million compared to 2011; his further views on the impact this will have on the agricultural sector as a whole; if he will also confirm if any plans are being considered by him to bridge the gap and mitigate the losses which will undoubtedly adversely affect the agricultural community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40618/12]

Illegal Moneylenders

John Halligan

19. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of illegal money lenders being brought to the attention of the Financial Services Regulator; the number that have been brought to the attention of the Gardaí; and the number being prosecuted. [37875/12]

Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists

John Halligan

79. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to deal with the 96,000 families on the housing list and to reduce substantially the long waiting times for permanent, secure and affordable housing for those families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39038/12]

Foreshore Licences Applications

John Halligan

85. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his intentions regarding a foreshore drilling licence applied for by a company (details supplied) concerning an area six kilometres off the Dalkey and Killiney coast, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39037/12]

Social Welfare Benefits Applications

John Halligan

646. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will give a firm commitment that there will be no cuts to basic social welfare rates in the next budget; if she will give a further commitment that there will be no cuts by stealth, through changing eligibility rules and cutting secondary benefits; if she is seeking views specifically from such groups as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service on the potential effect of cuts to the social welfare rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37195/12]

Ministerial Adviser Appointments

John Halligan

1122. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the number of advisers currently employed by his Department; if his Department has employed new advisers; and if so, the costs involved. [37872/12]

General Medical Services Scheme

John Halligan

711 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the reason an injection (details supplied) has been removed from medical cards and if he will reconsider same.
[35949/12]

Arts Funding

John Halligan

3 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht the advice he will give for alternative funding for an organisation (details supplied) which has studios in Swords, Athlone, Navan, Ashbourne, Finglas, Balbriggan and Portlaoise in view of the fact they do not qualify for funding from the Arts Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35361/12]

General Medical Services Scheme

John Halligan

797 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm if the B12 vitamin injection has been removed from medical cards (details supplied).
[35009/12]

Human Rights Issues

John Halligan

3 Deputy John Halligan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will contact the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and raise with him the issue of an independent and credible investigation into the murder of journalists (details supplied) in February 2012; the steps he has taken and is taking in addressing anti press violence in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33766/12]

Child Care Services

John Halligan

56 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Dublin has been excluded from school, has no respite and their father has no care at home for them; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[33338/12]

Tax Yield

John Halligan

21 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance based on the most up-to-date revenue figures, the total earnings of the top 10% of income earners and the amount of tax this group is paying in absolute and percentage terms; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32757/12]

Fiscal Policy

John Halligan

40 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Finance with regard to the recent EU meeting on the European banking crisis, the relief Irish citizens may expect in terms of an end to and reversal of cuts and austerity measures over the coming period; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32758/12]

Semi-State Sector Remuneration

John Halligan

14 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the pay level set by the Government in respect of the starting salary for the chief executive of a commercial State company was breached for in the incoming chief executive of the VHI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32497/12]

Tourism Promotion

John Halligan

97 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will work with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in the interests of promoting tourism, to ensure that the jetty and safety railing on Dalkey Island are repaired and made safe to allow visitors to the island this summer; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32102/12]