198. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if, in order to enable persons to fill out a student grant application form properly, he will introduce a third category for mature students who live at home but are not financially dependent on their parents, who share bills equally but do not have any bills in their name; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41856/13]
189. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way the limiting of PE in the new junior cycle framework to a short course of 100 hours will impact on the Government’s intention to reduce childhood obesity levels, which are currently at epidemic proportions where one in four girls and one in five boys are overweight and obese, and on the implementation of the Healthy Ireland Framework, the cross-Government policy for health and well-being; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41863/13]
188. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way the decision to reduce physical education, PE, from a full subject, 198 hours over three years, to an optional short course, 100 hours, in the new junior cycle framework will impact on the implementation of the Healthy Ireland Framework, the cross-Government policy for health and well-being, which calls for the full implementation of PE and SPHE in primary and post-primary schools, action 3.2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41861/13]
105. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to concerns that a possible union ban on training for the new English syllabus will delay plans for the implementation of a new style junior certificate next September. [42208/13]
99. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to his recent comments that there is no scope for more education cuts, and that he does not know where he can make savings, the efforts his Department has made to force the religious institutions to meet their obligations to compensate the survivors of residential abuse. [42209/13]
197. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on whether it is acceptable that asylum seekers and their children are housed in reception centres which lack adequate facilities for any meaningful recreational activity; his views on whether it is imperative that children and young persons have access to open space and sports areas irrespective of their parents' status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40891/13]
173. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the measures he is taking to alleviate the backlog of persons seeking Garda clearance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41657/13]
172. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will expedite Garda clearance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41656/13]
36. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Finance if will work with the Central Bank of Ireland to agree a definition of a strategic defaulter in relation to mortgages. [41507/13]
32. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Finance if he will release the report on Irish Nationwide Building Society of 2009; and if this report will be made available to any banking inquiry. [41521/13]
254. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to address the backlog in the medical card appeals office; the actions being taken to speed up the length of time it takes the appeals office to inform persons of the appeal allowing them to reactivate a person's medical card for the duration of the appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41281/13]
245. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the reasons persons who have life threatening serious illnesses are not granted a medical card for life (details supplied). [41239/13]
211. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 384 of 24 September 2013, if there are grants available to assist home owners to replace leaking pipes or collapsed sewers where the problem occurs outside their boundary under a public footpath or road in view of information provided by Cork County Council (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41404/13]
210. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 383 of 24 September 2013, if a house owner or the local authority is responsible for leaks or sewerage blockages outside of a home owner's boundary located on a public footpath or road in view of information from Cork County Council (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41398/13]
39. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide further details on his Department’s recent pledge of €2 million in emergency assistance for Sudan and South Sudan; the person who will receive the funding; and the way it will be spent. [41165/13]
33. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide further details on his Department’s recent pledge of €3 million in funding to mother and child nutrition; the person who will receive the funding; the way it will it be spent. [41156/13]
281. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons persons earning less than the income allowed for the special college grant rate are penalised and ineligible for that rate if they are not in receipt of a social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40979/13]
280. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the distance from college for students to be considered eligible for the non-adjacent grant to cover a distance less than 45km (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40966/13]
149. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Taoiseach the numbers of visitors to Ireland from emerging tourism markets, in particular China, India, Brazil, Russia and south-east Asia; and if there has been any noticeable increase in visitors from these countries in recent years. [40892/13]
94. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has had any discussion with the Department of Education and Skills regarding the potential for using that Department’s capital building programme as an opportunity to increase the provision of sporting facilities in local communities, in particular youth sports facilities, through co-location of sports facilities with educational campuses; if he envisages that savings could be made to his Department's capital expenditure in that regard; if he will outline those savings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40890/13]
58. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the potential ramifications for the tourism and hospitality sector of an increase in VAT above the current 9% tax rate; if his attention has been drawn to the potential that this would have for job losses; if he has engaged with the tourism industry regarding same; and if he has had any discussions with the Department of Finance regarding the VAT rate and retaining it at its current level. [41172/13]
171. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the options available to persons who do not have utility bills to prove their address when applying for housing; the acceptable ways to prove a persons address; if an affidavit, letter from Gardaí of politician will be accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40183/13]
75. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Finance the options that are available to persons who do not have utility bills to prove their address when applying to open a bank account; the acceptable ways to prove a person's address; if an affidavit, letter from the Garda or politician will be accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40184/13]
34. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if it is within his power by means of regulations, or if legislation is needed, to require private and voluntary nursing homes who are in the nursing home support scheme to provide a minimum number of places for higher dependency patients in order to avoid cherry-picking by these homes, resulting in higher dependency patients remaining at the back of the queue for places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40047/13]
30. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for the full roll-out of reference pricing and generic substitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40048/13]
37. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria for the appointment of peace commissioners across the State. [39765/13]
34. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has consulted wit the Department of Finance on the issue of equality budgeting. [39754/13]
392. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason a person (details supplied) on disability allowance who has already been means tested to qualify for that benefit has to provide further proof of means from another country to apply for social housing in County Cork. [39394/13]
188. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will allocate additional funding to the Health Service Executive to cover the transport costs for the 157 school leavers in the Cork area who received a full time place in adult services having moved on from the Cope Foundation to their new adult day facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38920/13]
179. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will reinstate a medical card currently under review in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38848/13]
27. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the up-to-date figure for children in care with an allocated social worker; the number in care who still do not have an allocated social worker and the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38763/13]
26. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when she expects the chairperson designate of the child and family agency, Ms Norah Gibbons, will take up her post; when the number and make-up of the new board will be confirmed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38767/13]
1617. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the guidelines in place for motor home campsites, which incorporate price, value for money, on site facilities, distance to amenities and suitable terrain or landscape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37275/13]
1573. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health his views on the substantial increase in the number of persons being refused medical cards and replaced by a GP card; the number of persons, broken down by constituency, who have had medical cards refused, and, of those the number who were subsequently provided with a GP card in its place. [38629/13]
1412. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for an autism diagnostic assessment for children nationally; his views on whether a six to eight month wait in Cork North Lee is acceptable; the way he plans to tackle these waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37739/13]
1381. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the waiting times here and particularly in Cork for pre-adolescents suffering from scoliosis; if he will endeavour to improve these waiting times as the condition can deteriorate quickly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37635/13]
1366. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that more funding is provided to the Health Service Executive to enable surgeons to carry out more surgeries for scoliosis patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37578/13]
1331. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if there are any implications for persons who travel to the Six Counties to have six different prescriptions filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37267/13]
1326. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will prioritise an operation in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37256/13]
1213. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if funding will be provided for four visitor moorings for the tourist town of Youghal, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38263/13]
1118. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when Traveller ethnicity will be put before the Government for a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38587/13]
611. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person signing for credits who applied for a commmunity employment scheme was told that they were not eligible for the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37577/13]
316. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that the Student Universal Support Ireland website clearly states that under the student grant scheme, PLC students are entitled only to maintenance grants in order to save people applying when they are not eligible as their family income is over €45,790 for a family of fewer than four children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37634/13]
168. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Finance if receipts will be issued to persons who pay the local property tax; when same will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37257/13]
139. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown in tabular form of the amount of money raised from the local property tax in each local authority area in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38077/13]
43. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his views of the impact of cutbacks to the National Irish Visual Arts Library; and his further plans to ensure that there is an independent policy or advisory committee established for this library. [38504/13]
26. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in view of the advertisement on 4 June, seeking board members for the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Chester Beatty Library, the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, the Arts Council, the Irish Architectural Archive and Archbishop Marsh’s Library, the process by which he intends to appoint persons to these positions; and the measures he will take to ensure that the persons taking up those positions will have the appropriate qualifications and experience. [38503/13]
5. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in view of County Limerick's designation as City of Culture for 2014, the supports, whether in terms of personnel, resources, finance or otherwise, his Department intends to give to local arts and tourism bodies and the local authority in order to ensure that the City of Culture year is successful; and his Department's plans to promote Limerick domestically and internationally for 2014. [38687/13]
769. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has had any discussion with the Department of Education and Skills regarding the potential for using that Department’s capital building programme as an opportunity to increase the provision of sporting facilities in local communities, in particular youth sports facilities, through co-location of sports facilities with educational campuses; if he envisages any savings that could be made to his Department's capital expenditure in that regard; if he will outline those savings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36426/13]
403. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the cost of conservation, cleaning and maintenance across the State's cultural institutions; if further consideration has been given to the proposals in the comprehensive review of expenditure to put in place a structure along the lines of the Art Lab proposals in Australia; the income that could be generated in that way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36419/13]