981. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide detail on the increase in minimum qualification requirements for childcare staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45674/13]
980. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the new national pre-school quality standards will be launched; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45673/13]
729. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if Irish sign language will be given legal recognition in accordance with the UN Human Rights Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45649/13]
663. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of funding that will be provided to local authorities in counties Westmeath and Longford for housing adaptation grants as a result of the announcements made in budget 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46063/13]
615. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will ensure transparency in the process of developing a national renewable energy export policy and planning framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46059/13]
614. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if an independent and verifiable impact study on the environmental, economic, social and heritage effects of wind energy developments will be carried out prior to the publication of the national renewable energy export policy and planning framework, which will guide An Bord Pleanála when considering any proposals of a significant scale for wind energy export projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46057/13]
423. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection where the additional 100 breakfast clubs, as announced in budget 2014, will be located; the way the scheme is administered generally; if schools may apply to be included in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45706/13]
524. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the Health Service Executive's position on the provision of community funding for sequential compression biomechanical devices, or art assist devices, to suitable patients; if he will acknowledge the cost-effectiveness of providing the devices for home use and avoiding costly hospital stays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44352/13]
184. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a clear definition exists to describe the role and responsibilities of special needs assistants; if this definition is clearly articulated to principals, teachers, parents and SNAs; how SNA support is managed within schools in order to ensure the best possible support and outcomes for students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44360/13]
399. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the way ambulance response times are currently assessed by the Health Service Executive; if an assessment of ambulance response times will be carried out nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43072/13]
253. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if further funding will be made available to Granard Town Council for CCTV projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43106/13]
51. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken to date in this academic year to improve the processing of student grants through Student Universal Support Ireland; if an improved system of collecting and recording documentation has been implemented; if the rate of processed applications has improved this year on the same period last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43111/13]
178. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress being made in relation to the development of a national early years strategy, regarding the provision of affordable childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42643/13]
128. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection if the family income supplement scheme will continue to be administered in order to provide financial support to those on low wages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42644/13]
124. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools nationally operating the school meals programme; the number of those schools that are in counties Longford and Westmeath; the way the school meals programme is administered; if it will be extended in order to ensure children receive the necessary nutrition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42610/13]
444. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the information provided to the Garda upon conviction of a sexual offence; if sex offenders are supervised after release; the way sex offenders from other jurisdictions are monitored here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42029/13]
427. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the efforts made to date to reduce waiting times for applications made to the Garda vetting unit; if improvements will be made as soon as possible to facilitate volunteers who wish to work with and for young persons and vulnerable adults here; if he will ensure that waiting times will no longer act as a barrier to volunteering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41886/13]
396. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if an extension will be made to the initial deadline for registering the non-use of motor vehicles, particularly in view of the large queues present at motor tax offices recently and the possibility that some persons may have not had the opportunity to register on time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42080/13]
383. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a national policy or strategy on volunteering will be developed in order to address barriers to volunteering and to set objectives and goals to ensure that volunteering is measured and valued; to provide for consistent and sustainable nationwide supports for volunteering; if he will provide strategy and direction for the existing volunteering infrastructure to deliver national priorities at a local level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41889/13]
332. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and location of social welfare offices currently delivering the full Intreo service; the locations of the expected 43 offices to be delivering the service by the end of 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42356/13]
302. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection if current internal guidelines in social welfare offices for the voluntary work option will be updated to ensure that no anomalies occur between deciding social welfare officers; if public guidelines will be updated to ensure that job seekers can clearly find eligibility criteria for the voluntary work programme and examples of suitable roles and acceptable levels of voluntary work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41868/13]
301. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which volunteering is promoted within social welfare offices here; if all social welfare officers are encouraged to promote volunteering as an option available to jobseekers and to make jobseekers aware of volunteering services available in their locality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41864/13]
284. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the current requirement for companies, which otherwise could avail of the audits exemption to complete two years statutory audits where annual return filings have been submitted late to the Companies Registration Office, will be removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41850/13]
272. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if details held by the Garda on those persons guilty of sex offences and who are subject to the requirements of the Sex Offenders Act 2001 will be made subject to freedom of information legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42031/13]
215. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that any decisions made in relation to third level education in budget 2014 will protect equality of opportunity; that financially vulnerable students will be adequately supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41980/13]
199. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made since the 2011 roll out of the new national literacy and numeracy strategy; if data is collected on the number of children leaving school with the necessary literacy and numeracy skills; the way success of the strategy is monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41862/13]
576. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the current position regarding the air ambulance service operating from Custume Barracks, Athlone; if the service will continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40444/13]
575. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the progress being made to reduce the number of hours worked by non-consultant hospital doctors in order to ensure compliance with the EU working time directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40443/13]
335. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Intreo offices currently in operation in counties Westmeath and Longford; if further offices will open in counties Westmeath and Longford this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40448/13]
130. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection if the half rate carer's allowance will be protected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40176/13]
1662. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the review of speed limits nationally; the date on which new guidelines on road signage and speed limits will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37913/13]
1661. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on progress being made by his Department to carry out policy reviews of drug driving legislation and speed limits under the road safety strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37905/13]
1525. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken by the Health Service Executive to meet its childhood immunisation targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38277/13]
1461. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health when the review of the fair deal scheme will be completed and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37953/13]
1460. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the progress being made on the development of the National Paediatric Children's hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37950/13]
1456. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive will consider developing nationally a patient discharge summary for all persons leaving hospital care in order that information can be shared with their family carer when the patient is in need of on-going care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37911/13]
1455. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the appointment of case workers in local health offices to provide a one-stop-shop service for family carers and those for whom they care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37910/13]
1454. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the progress being made on the development of a national plan for rare diseases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37903/13]
1453. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the number of staff that have exited the health service since 2011 through retirement and voluntary redundancy; the cost savings accruing from this reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37897/13]
1264. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the role and rights of grandparents in cases where children are in care; if grandparents can be made party to proceedings from the outset; if there are situations which would allow for a near parental role to be ascribed to grandparents in circumstances where either parent is deemed unable to function in a parental role; if further rights could be ascribed to grandparents under the Rights of Grandparents Bill 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38271/13]
1214. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline some of the measures taken by his Department and the relevant agencies to improve the food traceability system here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38273/13]
1197. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the agreement to abolish all EU sugar quotas from September 2017 will assist in re-establishing the sugar industry here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37949/13]
1192. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the development of anaerobic digestion as a means of producing electricity and providing an added income option for farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37899/13]
1112. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of subsidiary protection and leave to remain applications that were approved in July and August 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38422/13]
1093. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress being made to reform the immigration, residency and asylum systems, particularly in relation to introducing a statutory appeals system and improving transparency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37952/13]
1092. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline the range of rehabilitative programmes, counselling and psychology services available in the prison service to sex offenders; if participation in and completion of such programmes are mandatory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37902/13]
990. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline the number of Garda CCTV systems and community-based CCTV systems currently operational in counties Longford and Westmeath; if funding will be made available for the installation of further CCTV systems in the midlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36804/13]
947. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on progress being made in implementing the resource opportunity waste management policy, particularly in relation to keeping costs down for the consumer and waste enforcement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38276/13]
925. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of leasing arrangements that have been established between Westmeath County Council, Longford County Council and the National Asset Management Agency to make properties available for the purpose of social housing; the number of persons in counties Westmeath and Longford that have been adequately housed as a result of these agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37914/13]
924. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a timeframe for the roll-out of a new computer-aided mobilisation project system for handling fire service emergency calls; the way the system will improve the fire service's call-taking and mobilisation service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37912/13]