74 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Finance the procedures in place to manage sick leave in his Department; the sick leave entitlement in place in his Department; the combined amount of sick days taken by staff in his Department in 2011 and to date in 2012; the financial cost of this sick leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31563/12]
61 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the tangible results that have been delivered in his Department through the implementation of the Croke Park agreement; the implementation plan in place in his Department to ensure reforms envisaged through this agreement are delivered on; if he is satisfied with the pace of reform in his Department and the agencies under his remit; the further reforms the taxpayer and Irish citizens may expect to witness in the running of his Department and its agencies through the public sector reform agenda; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31579/12]
60 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the procedures in place to manage sick leave in his Department; the sick leave entitlement in place in his Department; the combined amount of sick days taken by staff in his Department in 2011 and to date in 2012; the financial cost of this sick leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31564/12]
314 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection if a tenant has handed back the keys of their council property due to serious anti-social behaviour, if this person is entitled to apply for rent allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[30927/12]
170 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Finance if he will enumerate and detail, in tabular form, the current taxation breaks and exemptions that apply to producers and designers of video games; his plans to extend these initiatives, introduce new initiatives and tax breaks; the timeframe he envisages tabling these proposals; their likely impact on the video games industry here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30582/12]
600 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding provided for adult disability services and services for school leavers with disabilities in County Wicklow; the plans in place to ensure that funding for such services remains available; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29196/12]
217 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the guidelines in place to ensure that a child with autistic spectrum disorder can attend an ASD unit on a full time basis in view of the fact that this particular child currently attends an ASD unit for three hours a day; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29088/12]
155 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the progress made to date in introducing legislation to deal with the area of assisted reproduction and in particular, surrogacy, in line with the recommendations of the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28709/12]
64 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the requirement that participants in the JobBridge scheme must have been in receipt of social welfare for the three months prior to their internships in view of the large number of college graduates who are interested in availing of the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28753/12]
610 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide after care for children who have undergone the selective dorsal rhizotomy operation in view of the fact that the Health Service Executive is considering providing this under the treatment abroad scheme; if these services will also be available to children who have previously fundraised privately to avail of this operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28224/12]
609 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date in establishing a referral procedure for children looking to undergo the selective dorsal rhizotomy operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28223/12]
233 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide details of current staffing levels within Allied Irish Banks; the number of staff currently employed by the bank; the number employed in May 2011 and the number employed in May 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27997/12]
90 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was refused a TESG FÁS training allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[27656/12]
898 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health his views on whether tobacco smuggling is a public health threat; if he plans to address illegal tobacco selling in his Tobacco Policy Review; if he will provide a time-frame for the publication of this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26676/12]
832 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay of 18 months in providing speech and language therapy in respect of a child (details supplied) in County wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26193/12]
826 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health if he will review the policy of adding flouride to the public drinking water supply here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26810/12]
791 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the aims and objectives behind the children’s service committees; the composition of the committees; whether each county is served by a dedicated committee; if these committees fall under the remit of the new Child and Family Support Agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[26257/12]
543 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the work undertaken to date in clearing sites at a location (details supplied); the most recent correspondence he has had with the county council on this matter; if any assurances have been given by the council in relation to the work to be undertaken and the timeframe for completion of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26221/12]
542 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost to date to the State of the clean-up at a location (details supplied) in County Wicklow; the total projected cost for this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26220/12]
373 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the technical employment support grant; the number of persons who availed of this scheme for each of the years 2007 to date in 2012; the maximum funding available; the relevant qualifying criteria; if there is an appeals mechanism which may be in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[26829/12]
346 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting time for rent supplement appeal decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[26662/12]
306 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason domiciliary care allowance ceased without any notice or review in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[26168/12]
185 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if pre-fabricated accommodation at a school (details supplied) will be replaced with permanent accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26870/12]
229 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide assurances to employees of the four bodies to be covered by the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 that their current conditions of employment as outlined in section 52(8) of the Qualifications and Quality Assurances (Education and Employment) Act 1999 will not be detrimentally affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27465/12]
166 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the remedies available to householders whose properties are infringed upon by overhanging trees; if the provisions of the Forestry Act 1946 which address this situation are still in force; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25998/12]
167 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the housing supports available to a couple who do not meet the criteria for rent supplement yet cannot afford to rent private accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25710/12]
418 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a carer’s allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[25386/12]
348 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are any plans to extend the higher rent supplement limit for north Wicklow to include Kilcoole as rents in this area are the same as Bray, Greystones and Delgany which are currently covered under the higher rent allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[24958/12]
347 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the progress of the review of community employment schemes which was initiated at the beginning of 2012; when the review is expected to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[24956/12]
293 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the rationale behind the recent circular from the his Department advising that school principals and school staff who act as overseers for the July school based programme will not be paid for extra work unless they were already in receipt of payment before 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25448/12]
273 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the rationale behind the decision to withdraw a concessionary post from a DEIS school (details supplied); if he will revisit the decision in view of the disadvantaged nature of the area, the severe disruption the loss of a teacher would have to the structure of classes in the school, the school’s steadily growing enrolment, which has doubled since 2005, and the reasonable expectation that the school would meet the criteria for an additional teacher for the 2013/14 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24924/12]
224 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Finance the reason a P45 has not been issued in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow who has ceased employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25152/12]
164 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his position in relation to the current outbreak of violence in South Kordofan, Sudan and the difficulties international humanitarian actors are having in accessing civilians affected by this escalation; if he intends to a make a contribution to the EU Foreign Affairs Council in view of this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24980/12]
140 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way in which motor tax payable on a specific model of car can vary considerably depending on the date of purchase; his plans to address this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter
[24484/12]
79 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to an anomaly whereby hard copy textbooks are VAT free, however the same publications in ebook form are subject to VAT at a rate of 23%; if he will address this matter in view of the growing number of schools that are favouring electronic textbooks; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24425/12]
76 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Finance the steps he will take to address the pressures being felt by persons and small businesses in view of rising petrol and diesel prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24348/12]
75 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Finance if he will introduce measures to off-set the impact of rising costs of petrol and diesel in view of the adverse effect that it is having on small and medium enterprises here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24347/12]
430 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made to date towards the establishment of a bilateral agreement on inter-country adoption with Russia in view of the provisions of the Hague Convention; the anticipated timeframe for completion of these negotiations; the efforts being taken to ensure these negotiations are conducted as quickly as possible in view of the long lead times for adoptions and the many families who have now been approved by the Health Service Executive and are waiting to adopt from Russia; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[23818/12]
316 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the fact that parents are receiving domiciliary care allowance review letters signed by the anonymous DCA section rather than being assigned to a contact name; if she will ensure that future letters issued to parents provide a contact name for a person within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[24309/12]
306 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason rent allowance has not been paid for three consecutive months in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow.
[24102/12]
211 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the grants available to Irish students who have been accepted for postgraduate study at universities in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23814/12]
121 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason a list for housing adaption grants (details supplied) remains closed; when funding will be made available to facilitate these works; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23164/12]
243 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding rent allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[22995/12]
210 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason she is refusing to honour its commitment to pay rent supplement to an individual in respect of a four year lease signed between landlord and tenant in January 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[22710/12]
205 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the rent allowance limits payable in an area (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[22573/12]
270 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time faced by a person with a disability in need of a new wheelchair; if he has any plans to introduce measures to reduce this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22286/12]
217 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason motor tax, driving license applications and other similar functions cannot be processed by town council offices in a location (details supplied); if he intends to address this as part of his plans to reform local Government structures; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22456/12]
216 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for local government reform; the time frame for implementations of these reforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22455/12]
638 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health if he will outline in tabular form the number of new medical graduates here and the corresponding number of available intern posts for each of the years 2007 to 2012, projected; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21713/12]
637 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the findings of the recent Health Service Executive report, Implementation of the Reform of the Intern Year, which describes a significant deficit in the number of intern posts available for the Government-funded expanded number of medical graduates; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21712/12]