37. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources with regard to the exploratory licence recently granted to a company (details supplied), when the drilling in Dublin bay is due to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43742/12]
30. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of a possible oil find in Dublin Bay, if his attention has been drawn to the pamphlet, produced by Dublin Shell to Sea Campaign, Liquid assets: Ireland's oil and gas resources and how they can be managed for the people's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43746/12]
5. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will consider favourably the request by the independent broadcasters of Ireland for funding to support public service broadcasting on independent commercial radio in view of the fact that EU law on State aid would not apply in such a situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44073/12]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
14 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans to reduce the numbers on the housing waiting lists, which currently stand at 96,000; if he is proposing a maximum waiting time for housing applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31263/12]
536 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons now on the waiting list at Waterford Regional Hospital for 2012; the number of persons left on trolleys or on chairs in Waterford Regional Hospital this year in comparison to 2011; and the number of men that have been diagnosed with prostate cancer this year in comparison to 2011.
[30377/12]
121 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources his views on implementing the recommendations from the recent Joint Oireachtas Committee with regards to increasing the tax take from oil and gas finds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30691/12]
124 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on concerns regarding the impact of seismic surveying in the Corrib gas field; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30692/12]
505 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of arrests in Waterford for drug dealing of prescription drugs each year from 2005 to 2011 and in the first quarter of 2012; and the volume, estimated value and type of prescription drugs seized during the arrests of persons engaged in the illegal sale of prescription drugs in the Waterford policing division each year from 2005 to 2011 and in the first quarter.
[29408/12]
110 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the fact that no hospital in the country met the nine hour accident and emergency waiting time target for admission or discharge, he is contemplating the closure of a number of A&E departments in smaller hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29435/12]
109 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the reduction in the number of outpatients seen at the orthopaedic, dermatology and ophthalmology outpatient departments at Waterford Regional Hospital in 2012 brought about by budgetary cuts; if he will report on all current initiatives to specifically address the backlog in outpatient waiting times at Waterford Regional Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29781/12]
160 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the reason it can take up to 413 days for a person to be admitted to the National Rehabilitation Hospital’s brain injury inpatient programme; the reason the numbers of patients unable to be discharged home from this programme is sharply rising from 3% in 2010 to 17% in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29434/12]
26 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on plans to sell State assets as part of the Troika programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28402/12]
21 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide the latest report on plans to use the proceeds from the sale of State assets for shovel ready projects; if he will identify the projects that are being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28364/12]
343 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection the numbers of persons in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance and the way this compares 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[27715/12]
342 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection her rationale for changing the jobseeker’s payment from over a six day week to over a five day week as it will act as a disincentive to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[27714/12]
340 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has commissioned any reports into the impact of the domiciliary care allowance review on vulnerable children; if not, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[23998/12]
155 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to the promised review of the domiciliary care allowance, the measures she will put in place to ensure that the same number of persons are not refused access to the DCA in the first instance; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28054/12]
140 Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for changing the Data Protection Act and declaration on the new FÁS registration form; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28055/12]