Results 2,661-2,680 of 3,053 for speaker:Mary Upton

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: I wish to share time with Deputy Quinn.

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this matter on the Adjournment. Earlier in the summer I began to receive telephone calls from a number of old age pensioners in local authority senior citizens complexes in my constituency. To say they were in a state of panic would be an understatement. One by one they had received notice that their fuel allowance was to be removed....

Written Answers — Sugar Industry: Sugar Industry (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 169: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she has taken arising from the publication on 22 June 2005 of proposals from the EU Commission for reform of the EU sugar regime; if in view of her description of the proposals as unacceptable, the steps taken to date to have them modified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26442/05]

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 196: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to reports that a small number of wealthy landowners are receiving payments of more than €10,000 per year under the single farm payments scheme; her views on whether it is appropriate that some farmers receive large payments of this size from public funds when other farmers are facing such a struggle...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 370: To ask the Minister for Transport if arrangements will be put in place in order that the scene of serious road traffic accidents will be independently evaluated to ascertain any breach of construction standards and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26361/05]

Written Answers — School Funding: School Funding (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 472: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if Educate Together schools will be able to draw down core funding on the same basis as other schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26315/05]

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 527: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce a stricter regime for assessing the quality of private rented accommodation as the 1993 regulations provides insufficient protection for tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26238/05]

Bovine Diseases. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: I accept there will be sporadic incidents but I would be interested to know if anybody has done a geographical audit on the areas where BSE has occurred. These are not just sporadic incidents. Such an audit might be worthy of consideration.

Agriculture Sector. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: Is there sufficient input into alternative farm enterprises to encourage farmers who for whatever reason might have given up their previous type of farming and would be looking to some alternatives that would give them the opportunity to stay and earn a viable income on the land? Has the Minister had discussions with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on ensuring adequate and...

EU Directives. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: I appreciate the Minister has replied to this question twice. The key issues are competition or lack of, monopoly, black market and costs. Account must be taken of these issues in terms of any changes in the regulations.

Animal Diseases. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 115: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she intends to take to protect against the spread of avian flu here, having regard not just to the threat to the avian population but also the dangers to humans; if any assessment has been done of the dangers of the flu spreading from migratory birds; if she will improve the monitoring of foodstuffs coming here, especially...

Animal Diseases. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: The recent warning from the World Health Organisation contained a staggering statistic of the probability of between 5 million and 150 million projected deaths from a 'flu pandemic and this warning should be heeded by all. I appreciate the important role to be played by the Minister's Department and the perhaps more significant role to be played by the Department of Health and Children....

Animal Diseases. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: What specific advice on this matter has been given to the poultry industry? If there was an outbreak of avian flu, it would have economic consequences for that industry and a subsequent impact on human health.

Food Labelling. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 118: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when full labelling of beef will be implemented, as promised in November 2004; the nature and scope of the voluntary agreement she recently concluded with hotels, restaurants and pubs, regarding a scheme of voluntary labelling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26535/05]

Food Labelling. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: I welcome the progress proposed in the forthcoming legislation. It is long overdue. There have been serious concerns as regards imported beef and these continue. We hope that this will be the final initiative in terms of identification, labelling and traceability for the beef industry at least. It is necessary for consumer confidence and as a support for the industry. I appreciate that it is...

Bovine Diseases. (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Upton: I thank the Minister for her reply. While we all welcome the decline in the overall number of reported cases of BSE, does the Minister not consider it a cause of grave concern that 16% of the animals identified this year as carrying the disease were born after the ban on the use of processed animal proteins was introduced? Two of the animals in question were five years old. Seven other...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (29 Sep 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 121: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will review his Department's refusal of a visa application for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if he will give consideration to this person. [26025/05]

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 723: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will review the terms of the bereavement grant to enable persons on low incomes cope with the high cost of funerals of their loved ones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24514/05]

Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (1 Jul 2005)

Mary Upton: On behalf of the Labour Party, I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his co-operation with all of us throughout the year. Even if we have differences of opinion at times, we know in the end we get a fair crack of the whip. I thank the Clerk of the Dáil, the Superintendent, the Captain of the Guard and all the staff. I particularly thank the staff, as the Ceann Comhairle said, we do not see. Things...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Jun 2005)

Mary Upton: Question 7: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has plans to address the apparent anomaly whereby those in receipt of the non-contributory pension who save a portion of their pension subsequently exceed the means threshold; if he will state the number of persons this affects; if he plans to rectify this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23033/05]