Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Finance the revenue that will be generated by the property tax in each county and the overall amount projected throughout the country.

Written reply received from Deputy Michael Noonan: According to Budget estimates the Local Property Tax is expected to generate an overall yield of €250 million in 2013 and €500 million in 2014. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that it is not possible to provide a breakdown of these estimates on a county basis until Local Property Tax returns are filed and payments made by liable persons. 

Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister of State at the Dept. of Public Expenditure and Reform if he will estimate the revenue that will be generated from the sale of Garda stations being closed this year.
  
Written reply received from Deputy Brian Hayes: The Office of Public Works is responsible for managing the sale of surplus properties in state ownership, including Garda stations. The OPW is currently assessing the property options arising in respect of Garda stations, which are no longer required by An Garda Síochána. 

This assessment will include other potential State uses for the properties.  If and when properties are considered surplus to requirements, the OPW will consider options including other State uses, disposal on the open market and consideration of any viable local proposals. Approximately 70% of these stations have ‘married quarters’ many of which are occupied by serving members of An Garda Síochána.  In addition, a number of the stations have masts being used by mobile phone operators.  These matters need to be regularised before disposal. 

A total of 139 Garda stations have been identified for closure and this office will continue its engagement with An Garda Síochána on the effective transfer of the properties. 

A valuation exercise has commenced on this stock of Garda stations and a number of surplus properties will be placed on the market in 2013. 

Dealing with property of any nature is complex but the OPW is confident that it will have several properties on the market in 2013 and as the value of each property can only be ascertained when it is placed on the market, I am not in a position, at this time, to identify the likely revenue from the disposals in 2013. 

Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage and number of people living in Waterford City and County who are in receipt of a social welfare payment; and if he will list each category of payment with the number of recipients.

Reply from Deputy Joan Burton: The information requested by the Deputy is collated, at county level only, by my Department annually for inclusion in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report. Work has commenced on the compilation of data for the production of the 2012 report. However, the most recent data available, at present, in respect of the number of people living in Waterford County and who were in receipt of a social welfare payment is for the year 2011. 

This information is listed by each category of payment in these tabular statements.

Tuesday, 22 January 2012
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the average time it is taking to process an appeal in An Bord Pleanála; and if he will differentiate between appeals against larger and smaller developments.

Written reply received from Minister of State Jan O'Sullivan: The average time taken to process an appeal in An Bord Pleanála in 2012 was 23 weeks with 36% of appeals disposed of within the 18-week statutory objective period. The breakdown sought between larger and smaller developments is not available in my Department.

Tuesday, 22 January 2012
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the process regarding the provision of new primary care centres; and if Dungarvan, County Waterford will be designated as one of the first ten centres to be put out to tender.
  
Written reply received from Deputy James Reilly: Progress is being made in the delivery of primary care centres. Primary care infrastructure is being delivered using three mechanisms which are: public private partnership, operational lease and direct build.

With regard to the PPP process, the current position is that the HSE is engaging with the NDFA to progress the programme. The Executive is currently analysing the available sites in each location and engaging with the GPs in each location to determine their interest in participating in the primary care centre development. 

Also it has commenced the procurement of design teams and technical advisors to progress the designs and planning submissions and the preparation of the PPP procurement documents. Up to 20 of the 35 locations announced will be offered to the market subject to a) agreement between the local GPs and the HSE on active local GP involvement in the centres and b) site suitability and availability. Using the operational lease mechanism the HSE has delivered primary care infrastructure at 30 locations and is continuing its collaboration with the private sector to progress suitable locations. 

The Capital Plan 2012-2016: Year 2012 has been approved and contains provision for the delivery of eight primary care centres. Work is underway on the Executive's multi-annual Capital Plan 2013-2017. My Department is reviewing the proposals and following up with the HSE where further details may be required. The draft Capital Plan 2013-2017 will require my approval with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. 

Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí that have retired from the force in the past five years and to detail their rank.

Written reply received from Deputy Alan Shatter: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of Gardaí, by rank, who have departed the Force in 2008-2012 is as set out in the table (right).

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of burglaries recorded in Waterford City and county in each of the past five years.

Deputy Shatter replied: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy. 

Tuesday, 22 January 2012
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Health when he will be publicising the Higgins Report into the reconfiguration of hospital groups; and if the South East Hospital Group will be fragmented or affected in any way. 

Written reply received from Deputy James Reilly: “Recommendations on the formation of specific groups and arrangements for the management and governance of all groups have been drafted as part of a report on the establishment of hospital groups as a transition to hospital trusts. This report is based on a comprehensive consultation process, as well as a significant number of submissions from stakeholders and individual citizens. These recommendations have been considered and endorsed by a Strategic Board composed of representatives with national and international expertise in health service delivery, governance and linkages with academic institutions. The report on the establishment of hospital groups as a transition to independent hospital trust will be presented formally to me by the Chair of the Strategic Board, Professor John Higgins, in the near future. I will prioritise consideration of that report, which will then be submitted to and presented to Government for decision on the hospital groups’ composition in light of the recommendations of the Report.”

Tuesday, 22 January, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline his Department’s work regarding efforts to pass legislation in the U.S. Congress to legalise the undocumented Irish.

Reply from Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore: The Government continues to attach particular importance to the welfare of the Irish abroad in general and especially to the position of undocumented Irish immigrants in the United States. A resolution of the situation for undocumented Irish migrants will continue to be pursued by the Government in our ongoing contacts with the US Administration and Congress. 

The advice of Ireland’s friends and contacts within the US Administration and Congress has long been that comprehensive reform of the US immigration system and procedures is likely to be the only manner by which such a resolution can be achieved. The prospects for such reform would appear to have advanced in the wake of President Obama’s re-election.  Through our Embassy in Washington and in close liaison with Irish-American community representatives, our contacts with the US Administration and Congress will intensify with a view to ensuring that the interests and concerns of undocumented Irish immigrants are captured in any future legislative deal in this area that emerges. In this regard, I raised the issue with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during our bilateral meeting on 6 December last and recalled our strong support for comprehensive immigration legislation and the passage of E3 visas for Irish citizens.   

Much further debate and discussion is likely to be required within the US political system as to what any future legislative deal might comprise. It is therefore not possible at this stage to specify its contents or identify an exact timescale in which these may become clear but the area will continue to receive the Government’s close attention over the period ahead.

Tuesday, 22 January, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton (left) the plans he has to divert Foreign Direct Investment into the regions of the country that are suffering from high levels of unemployment.

Deputy Deasy also tabled a series of further written questions relating to Regional Aid (with a specific focus on the southeast), which can be seen, along with all the Minister's replies, by clicking here.