114. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the high percentage of premises without access to broadband in County Donegal, if he will consider an expediency plan for the most rural counties like County Donegal, as the timeline for formal procurement for State intervention is already running into the end of this year with no delays expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31794/15]
93. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the role his Department has played in promoting greater financial inclusion; his views on establishing a standard bank account in post offices to ensure everyone, especially those on low incomes, have access to financial services relevant to their needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31793/15]
24. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will raise the income limits for applicants to qualify to get onto the social housing lists, particularly in County Donegal, in recognition that applicants above the limits cannot secure finance to provide for their own housing needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28764/15]
7. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider raising the housing assistance payment rental levels for applicants in recognition of the fact that it is impossible to secure rental properties at or near the current levels in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28765/15]
321. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to include a clause in contracts for commercial entities providing broadband roll-out services, which states that rural areas such as County Donegal will be prioritised as part of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29412/15]
257. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts he has made in relation to a person (details supplied) who is facing a 12-year prison sentence in the Philippines, without a fair trial; the consular services that are available to the person; the representations his Department has made in relation to corrupt practices in the judicial system in the Philippines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29381/15]
214. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of adult residential services units available for persons with intellectual disabilities by county since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29467/15]
79. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm that the recent consumer protection legislation will regulate credit service providers, but not the special purpose vehicles which handle their loans, as in the case of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation mortgages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29380/15]
56. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to assess the impact of changes made in the 2012 and 2013 budgets under the farm assist scheme on those families depending on the scheme and in respect of access to secondary supports, since those changes were made; if she will clarify how the scheme is kept under constant review by officials in her Department, as previously stated in answer to parliamentary questions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29379/15]
55. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount it would cost to re-instate the income disregard levels under the Farm Assist Scheme to pre-budget 2012 levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29378/15]
54. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total number of persons claiming under the farm assist scheme, by county, for each year since 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29377/15]
53. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount it would cost to reinstate the payment levels under the farm assist scheme to pre-budget 2012 levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29376/15]
28. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to review the effects seasonality has on work practices experienced by seasonal workers in counties such as Donegal, taking into account the potential effects fluctuating demand in seasonal work may have on the quality of work and that little research has been done into further understanding the work trends in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28657/15]
12. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide an update on the Regional Action Plan for Jobs 2015 for the Border region, which includes Donegal and which is due for publication this month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28658/15]
956. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide in tabular form a list of the Údarás na Gaeltachta-supported companies in County Donegal that are in receipt of employment grants; the number of employees supported in each company; the cost to the Údarás of the support for each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28889/15]
905. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of EirGrid's All-Island Generation Capacity Statement 2015-2024, which stated that between 3,200 and 3,800 megawatts of wind generating capacity will be required to allow Ireland to achieve 40% renewable electricity, if this figure includes Northern Ireland; the reason this increased power capacity is focused only on wind energy and not across other sectors, such as biomass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28879/15]
867. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason it continues to be necessary to use primary school buildings as polling booths; if he will consider allowing other buildings to which the public have access to be used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28862/15]
866. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the closure of many rural Garda Síochána stations, if he will consider amending the requirements for inclusion on the supplement to the register of electors, to allow an official of a local authority to witness an applicant's form for inclusion on the register; if he will amend or delete an applicant's need to establish in writing that the applicant is unable to progress the registration process in the presence of a member of An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28861/15]
801. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the difficulties presented to lone parents in rural Donegal who wish to avail of education and training opportunities, but who are encountering the high cost of travelling from rural areas to centres of interest; the reduced availability of places covered by the training and employment child care scheme, and other child care programmes, due to the lone parent's location, and the lack of available broadband or a sufficient Internet connection for online training; her plans to introduce an education policy specific to rural Ireland to address issues of equal access to education and training opportunities for persons living in more remote parts of the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28873/15]
74. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money that has been lent to Ireland by the International Monetary Fund; the interest rate payable; the total amount of interest paid; the maturation date of the loans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27915/15]
448. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the request by the coroner in the inquest of persons (details supplied) in September 1992, and into the linked murders and attempted murders of 28 persons in Northern Ireland, for a public inquiry to be held into the killings, given that the coroner believes that the inquest is not equipped to deal with the issues involved, including the issue of collusion; if he will support the coroner's call; if he will contact the British Government in relation to the important issues involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27504/15]
15. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the circumstances around claims of a recent influx of immigrants to Ireland in the space of one month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26907/15]
14. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the purpose of a meeting, attended by the reception and integration agency of her Department, with over 40 participants from direct provision centres, managers and owners, at a centre in Knockalisheen in County Clare on 3 June 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26908/15]
157. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is aware of an increase in communications from the Reception and Integration Agency of her Department and management of direct provision centres to persons who have obtained permission to stay here informing them that they must move out of such centres within a short period, regardless of the availability of housing; the supports put in place to enable such persons to make the transition from direct provision into the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26548/15]
150. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will clarify, of the 700 migrants her Department claims are coming to Ireland in a recent spike in immigration numbers, the number who are seeking asylum, and of those seeking asylum, their nationalities; the number of persons who were refused permission to enter the country and turned away; the reason this is putting pressure on public and immigration services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26515/15]
46. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the European Union Commission's proposals to implement the ban on discarding white fish catches from January 2016; the position he plans to take on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26051/15]
36. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that Ireland has never made a request in support of a recreational bluefin tuna fishery either to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas or to the European Union Commission; the reason the Government has not made such a case to the European Union for a catch and release recreational fishery programme to be based here, despite the fact that other countries have done so successfully such as Norway, in 2014 which was granted a 27 ton quota on application to the international commission; if Ireland may be treated differently on application for such a quota, even with our history of fishing in the past; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26050/15]
663. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources given that there is approximately 7,400 megawatt capacity of electricity in power stations and that EirGrid has predicted demand will remain more or less the same as levels in 2007, the reason policy is directed towards constructing wind farms to generate 3,000 additional megawatts of energy by 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26323/15]
662. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will prioritise the roll-out of high speed broadband to the most disadvantaged areas, including rural areas in County Donegal, as County Donegal is considered one of the most disadvantaged counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26257/15]
661. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is aware of the ongoing problems small businesses are experiencing with slow debit and credit card transactions due to a lack of broadband access in County Donegal, despite being near urban centres such as Letterkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26256/15]
494. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to organise an event in July 2015 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in view of the European Parliament's resolution passed in 2009 which called on European Union member states to commemorate the event; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25916/15]
459. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the reason there is a shortage in supply of tuberculosis, BCG, vaccines; the issues with the supplier; the reason enough vaccines were not acquired ahead of the next supply which is due in July 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26231/15]
400. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the actions his Department has taken in response to the increasing global health threat presented by emerging zoonotic diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus which emerged in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and which, although it is more limited than the previous SARS-CoV, has a much higher mortality rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25908/15]
382. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the provisions on adoption, guardianship and custody will commence under the terms of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26320/15]
118. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will be pushing for greater supports for lone parents from rural areas to access educational opportunities, including online courses, access to child care, supports for travelling to the place of education and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25807/15]
109. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will meet representatives from a school (details supplied) in County Donegal, given that the school is in urgent need of a new building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25808/15]
36. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the way a person's jobseeker status is determined when the person signs on for jobseeker's benefit, for example, the way her Department determines and who within the social welfare system determines if a person is a pay-as-you-earn unemployed jobseeker, a self-employed but currently unemployed jobseeker, a casual worker, or an unemployed jobseeker with no previous work experience; the mechanisms available to the person, if that person believes that the status assigned to him or her is incorrect, for example a person designated as previously self-employed may not be offered available training opportunities or a person designated as unemployed but who was in fact self-employed, may be expected to engage in training opportunities not useful to that person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24787/15]
23. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost implications in increasing the maximum income limit of subsidiary employment from €12.70 per day to €25 per day; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24788/15]
510. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Government will recognise the Armenian genocide in view of the fact that more countries have officially recognised the genocide such as Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Brazil, as well as Scotland and Wales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24996/15]
467. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the reason for the temporary shortage of supplies of the tuberculosis (BCG) vaccine in Letterkenny Hospital in County Donegal, and in the monthly clinics in Buncrana, Dungloe, and Donegal town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24932/15]
451. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if he will consider meeting with a support group (details supplied) which includes concerned parents whose children were affected by the human papilloma virus vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24866/15]
231. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Finance the reason Irish Water was included in the Government balance sheet for the spring economic statement; the extent to which the inclusion of Irish Water affected the figures provided, in relation to the finances available for Government expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18270/15]
111. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Finance the retrospective nature of the Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2015; if the Bill will cover current ongoing situations, involving borrowers receiving warnings from banks in relation to their loans, including mortgages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24593/15]
105. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 299 of 9 June 2015, in the case of a company not under the regulation of the Central Bank of Ireland but that has voluntarily adhered to the Central Bank's code of conduct on mortgage arrears, if its subsidiary company is also subject to the code; if not, how the subsidiary's activity is regulated; the measures in place to monitor the rate of voluntary adherence to the code and the such companies' actual application of the code; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24592/15]
41. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is in support of the Heritage Council's call for an increase in funding for local heritage projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23906/15]
37. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the consideration her Department can give to mitigation measures for activities that may have an impact on special areas of conservation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23905/15]
249. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 1114 of 9 June 2015, if he will expand on the point made in his reply as to the potential role communities can play in aggregating demand for broadband services in their areas, which can lead to acceleration of the deployment and adoption of such services; the way he expects communities will aggregate demand if high speed broadband services are not available in certain communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24096/15]
218. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has carried out any research into the effect of chemtrails or contrails, and their effect on the environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23993/15]
137. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the report of the working group to report to the Government on improvements to the protection process, including direct provision and supports to asylum seekers, will be published before it is debated in Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24106/15]
136. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there will be an opportunity to make submissions to her on the recommendations put forward by the working group to report to Government on improvements to the protection process, including direct provision and supports to asylum seekers and the direct provision system, before the recommendations are considered by her and brought before the Cabinet; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24105/15]