174 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children the situation as regards the filling of the six vacant beds in a nursing home (details supplied) in County Galway; if the necessary staff have been allocated to the nursing home to allow for the filling of these six vacant beds; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13854/08]
173 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children if the necessary funds will be provided to the Health Service Executive west for the reopening of seven closed beds at a nursing home (details supplied) in County Galway where the capacity is for 34 beds but only 27 are in use; if a review will be carried out of the funding of the nursing home given that the budget is based on 2001 figures and the number of dependent patients is currently greater; if there will be a review of the funding to this nursing home; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13853/08]
33 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action he will take to enhance the rights of victims, and in the case of murder, their families, within the criminal justice system; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14120/08]
217 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the situation regarding Galway City Council which is unable to implement the housing grant scheme in particular the housing aid for the elderly scheme which was due to be administered through local authorities from 1 April 2008 but are unable to do so because of the lack of staff and resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13729/08]
89 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the Health Service Executive and the dental surgeons in the HSE western area where a number of dentists are not carrying out work for medical card patients since March 2007; the steps that have been taken to settle this dispute; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13730/08]
340 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to the proposed extension for a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[12986/08]
595 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps he will take to ensure that motorists on Inis Mór, Aran Islands have a regular supply of petrol; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the only petrol station on Inis Mór closed in September 2005 with very little notice; the situation regarding the provision of a public petrol station on Inis Mór; the grants available for such a venture; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11309/08]
504 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason taxi drivers have no access to the rights commissioner, the Labour Relations Commission or to the Labour Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12269/08]
484 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Transport if he will ensure that the taxi regulator negotiates with the unions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12270/08]
483 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Transport the situation as regards the advisory council established under the Taxi Regulations Act 2003; the number of members on the council; and the number of those who directly represent the interests of taxi drivers and have taxi driving experience.
[12268/08]
469 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Transport his proposals for the provision of the approximately €20 million acquired by Galway County Council for the provision of an inner relief road in Claregalway, County Galway as promised by Government Deputies before the 2007 general election; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11745/08]
63 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is an 18 month to two-year waiting time to have clients seeking wheelchairs or other medical aids to be assessed by an occupational therapist in the Health Service Executive west area, and that this is due to a lack of staff in the occupational therapy area; the steps she will take to alleviate this serious situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[11044/08]
496 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his proposals for funding a conference centre and concert hall at fisheries field, Galway as part of the proposal for Galway city under the gateway innovation funding; and if funding will be made available to Galway City Council.
[10069/08]
204 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children her plans to make a regulation to ensure that persons over 70 years of age with a medical card are not charged by general practitioners for a medical certificate which is necessary for the renewal of their driving licence, an issue where the general practitioners are charging as much as €50 for this certificate; if she will make a regulation to ensure that this charge will be covered by the medical card; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10133/08]
197 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children if and when a full-time a phototherapy nurse will be provided in the dermatology unit at University Hospital Galway in view of the fact that the position is currently filled on a part-time basis but this service requires the assistance of a full-time nurse to cater for the growing waiting list of patients awaiting this important treatment.
[10071/08]
131 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on extending the opening hours of the Passport Office to include some evenings and Saturdays; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10323/08]
115 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will establish a passport office in Galway city to cater for residents in the greater city area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10322/08]
85 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children her views on the recent comments by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association that the new consultants contract is deficient in many areas and does not reflect the agreement announced in January 2008; the aspects of the agreement reached in January 2008 that were omitted from the proposed contract; if a revised contract will be presented to the consultants; when she expects the Health Service Executive to begin recruiting consultants; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9398/08]
436 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science the policy of education bodies as regards funding for students and the payment of fees whereby students undertaking a postgraduate who may have been awarded a postgraduate fellowship and receiving the maintenance grant but where the equivalent of the maintenance grant is also deducted from the students annual earnings; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9165/08]
167 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he is satisfied that sufficient steps are being taken to address alcohol abuse by minors; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9068/08]
142 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Gardaí freed from desk duties by civilian employees to date; the steps he will take to increase civilianisation within An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9067/08]
80 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the proposed changes in the community childcare funding will have a serious adverse effect on some childcare facilities as a result of the introduction of the childcare subvention scheme in July 2008; and the steps she will take to grant aid childcare facilities that will be seriously disadvantaged by the new regulations.
[8547/08]
72 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will reconsider his decision as regard introducing a VRT refund scheme for people who registered cars prior to 1 July 2008 as vehicles purchased after Budget 2008 and pre July 2008 will be taxed unfairly at the CC rate and not the CO2 rate which results in a substantial difference for most families and causes unjust financial hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8548/08]
485 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will ensure that the local authority planning offices recognise the Historic Churches Advisory Committees to be established on a diocesan or inter-diocesan basis as enshrined in the document Architectural Heritage Protection, Guidelines for Planning Authorities, Guidance on Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000 launched by him in 2005; and if he will ensure that the planning authorities engage with the HCAC in relevance to the direction by himself..
[7519/08]
361 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science the situation as regards a new primary and secondary school for Doughiska, County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7960/08]
220 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason with regard to the designation of NHA’s and SAC’s under the National ASI Survey, a person (details supplied) was penalised for having all their lands designated of over 1,000 acres of land and mountain while all the surrounding lands were not designated; the reason their quarry operation on the land was not removed from designation when all other quarry sites in Connemara, County Galway had the designation taken off them; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7318/08]
178 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the proposed changes in the community childcare funding will have serious adverse effect on some childcare facilities as a result of the introduction of the childcare subvention scheme in July 2008; and the steps she will take to grant aid childcare facilities that will now be seriously disadvantaged by the new regulations.
[7317/08]
117 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in the case of where swipe cards are being issued to recipients of social welfare payments they have the option of appointing an agent and reverting to the book system; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7319/08]
19 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the measures she will take to resolve the serious financial hardship facing farmers who have had their businesses frozen due to brown rot; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7085/08]
677 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his officials will meet with farming organisations’ representatives in Connemara, County Galway to brief them on the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food proposals on destocking on the Twelve Bens mountain range in Connemara (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6224/08]
457 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her officials will meet with farming organisations’ representatives in Connemara, County Galway to brief them on the National Parks and Wildlife Service and her Department’s proposals on destocking on the Twelve Bens mountain range in Connemara (details supplied).
[6225/08]
177 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if a VRT rebate is allowable on all vehicles purchased since Budget 2008 which have the relevant manufacturer’s CO2 documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6226/08]
185 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the provision of a school building for a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5851/08]
134 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he proposes to proceed with the switching from book to swipe card payment for a number of social welfare payments; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that these proposed changes will result in further marginalisation of social welfare recipients who chose to collect their payments at the post office in cash and that all recipients will have to attend in person to sign for their payments as their payment dockets will not be transferred to their agent to collect on their behalf; his views on whether it will cause hardship to some people that the proposed changes will only mean that the dockets are valid for 20 days while under the old system they were valid for three months and sometimes at Christmas and back to school times where some social welfare recipients used this as a type of saving method, for example, children’s allowance dockets are valid for six months and this is also proposed to be reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5697/08]
196 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children if she has set up the promised independent body to review and make representations on the remuneration for pharmacists, dentists and general practitioners; when it is expected that this independent body will report back; if she will provide an undertaking not to change the remuneration terms to the pharmacists until this independent body gives its report; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5826/08]
605 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position of the implementation of S.I. 666 of 2006 where planning permission is granted after 1 January 2007 and requires a building energy rating certificate; if his Department is insisting that if all sales of houses granted permission after 1 January 2007 are not completed that they have to be building energy rated certified; if his Department is insisting that solicitors for purchasers insist that such houses for sale have a building energy rated certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4632/08]
465 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science if her Department will approve funding for a project (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[4665/08]
163 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Transport his plans to ensure the continued roll-out of the Navan line; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3481/08]
141 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Transport his views on the calls from the Road Safety Authority to his Department to immediately introduce legislation to give powers to the gardaí to seize disqualified drivers' licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3482/08]
1352 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position as regards the provision of a sewerage scheme in Oughterard, County Galway; if the report from Galway County Council has been approved; if and when consultants can be employed without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1663/08]
941 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding proposed extension works to a school (details supplied) in County Galway where students have to endure classes in very poor conditions in prefabs; if and when their school will be assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1302/08]
468 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children if her Department will provide the necessary funding for the Irish Osteoporosis Society which provide an invaluable service; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[2399/08]
339 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children if her Department has plans for the provision of a cystic fibrosis unit for Galway as current facilities at University Hospital Galway are not adequate for the many cystic fibrosis sufferers; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1458/08]
333 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will address the serious situation as regards the lack of dental care in some of the primary schools (details supplied) in north west Connemara, County Galway who have been without dental care since 2005; if and when this post will be filled or failing that if dental services could be provided by a private dentist; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1410/08]
285 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children her proposals for funding the extension of the Galway Hospice to a total of 26 beds in view of the Government’s approved national policy for palliative care services and where Galway Hospice has funded the purchase of adjoining land to facilitate this development which will cost in the region of an estimated €10 million; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[36105/07]
284 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals she has to increase the funding to the palliative care unit, Galway Hospice, Renmore, Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[36104/07]
120 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the provision of a private hospital on the grounds of University Hospital Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[34744/07]
113 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding sanction for the appointment of a nurse qualified in phototherapy for the dermatology unit at University Hospital Galway; if this appointment will be sanctioned in order that this very necessary unit can be opened with the relevant staff to cater for the long waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[34664/07]
456 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of grant aid and assistance made available to a company (details supplied) in County Galway since it began operating in 2002; the conditions that applied to such grants; and if the company fulfilled the conditions attached to such grants.
[34114/07]
265 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals she has to extend the nursing home refund scheme to patients who are in private nursing homes in contracted beds; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[33818/07]