Written answers
Thursday, 13 May 2004
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Job Creation
Question 12: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she will take to remove outstanding obstacles to the provision of investment for the creation of much...
- Community Employment Schemes
Question 13: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the number of projects for the community employment programme will be reduced in 2004; if the policy to...
- Professional Services
Question 14: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her Department's views on the percentage fee structure charged by many professions; if her Department intends...
- Departmental Investigations
Question 15: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the belief of a person (details supplied) that an alleged fraud perpetrated by an NGO on her...
- FÁS Training Programmes
Question 16: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of employees in FÁS classified as grade seven or above in respect of December 1997 and December...
- Carbon Tax
Question 17: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the analysis her Department has undertaken on the possible implications for industry here of the introduction...
- Personal Injuries Assessment Board
Question 18: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position with regard to the operation of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board; the number of staff...
- Health and Safety Regulations
Question 19: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position with regard to her consultation with the social partners on proposals to increase penalties for...
- European Council Meetings
Question 20: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the persons who attended the recent informal meeting of the EU Council of Competition Ministers in Dromoland...
- Job Protection
Question 21: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will make a statement on the paper prepared by her Department in April 2004 and presented to EU Industry...
- FÁS Training Programmes
Question 22: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if FÁS continues to host courses offering introduction to computers; the number of persons in the scheme; the...
- National Minimum Wage
Question 24: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when it is intended to review the level of the national minimum wage; her views on the call from IBEC that...
- Work Permits
Question 25: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her Department has plans to undertake a review of the work permit scheme for immigrant workers; and if she...
- Job Losses
Question 26: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her Department has been formally notified by a company (details supplied) of its intention to make more than...
- Employment Rights
Question 27: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has satisfied herself that there are a sufficient number of inspectors to carry an adequate level of...
- Sunday Trading
Question 28: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the call from the trade union MANDATE for action to outlaw trading by major...
- Community Employment Schemes
Question 29: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position with regard to the various reviews or studies of community employment commissioned or undertaken...
- European Council Meetings
Question 30: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the nature of the recent talks she had with the US trade representative, Mr Bob Zoellick; if common agreement...
- National Competitiveness Council
Question 31: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made by the monitoring process established to consider and track progress in implementing the...
- Decentralisation Programme
Question 33: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her Department has carried out a risk assessment of the decentralisation plans announced on budget day, in...
- Migrant Workers
Question 36: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on whether the State's failure to ratify the UN convention on the rights of migrant workers and their...
- Consumer Affairs
Question 37: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made to date on the consumer strategy group; the number of times it has met; the matters it has...
- County Enterprise Boards
Question 38: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans she has to review the eligibility criteria for funding from county enterprise boards; and if she will...
- Consumer Affairs
Question 39: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the role of her Department in overseeing the work of the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs. [13908/04]
- Company Investigations
Question 40: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the latest information available to her regarding when the report of the High Court inspectors into the affairs...
- Personal Injuries Assessment Board
Question 42: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason for the delay in the establishment of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, particularly in view...
- Public Holidays
Question 43: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of public holidays enjoyed by workers here and the way in which this compares with the EU average;...
- Research Funding
Question 45: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action she intends to take to ensure that Ireland increases its expenditure on research and development...
- FÁS Training Programmes
Question 46: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the proportion of non-apprentice employees who are in FÁS training centres; the proportion of these who are...
- Job Protection
Question 47: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she intends to take to counter the growing trend of jobs being transferred to lower cost countries;...
- Trade Union Recognition
Question 48: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the fact that trade union recognition is a fundamental right of all workers which must be...
- Industrial Development
Question 49: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has identified the issues contributing to price hikes and lack of competitiveness in the economy; her...
- Grocery Industry
Question 50: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when she intends to publish the results of her review of the 1987 groceries order which forbids below cost...
- Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta
Question 52: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, following the liquidation of Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta, all creditors have been paid; and if she will...
- Asylum Applications
Question 54: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if it is her intention to enter into discussions with her colleagues at the Department of Justice, Equality and...
- County Enterprise Boards
Question 55: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will provide additional funding to efficient county enterprise boards; and if she will make a statement...
- Trade Union Recognition
Question 56: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of all meetings she has had in the past five years in which the issue of trade union recognition...
- Unemployment Levels
Question 57: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress that has been made on the national anti-poverty strategy commitment to eliminate long-term...
- Organisation of Working Time Act
Question 58: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has satisfied herself with the level of implementation of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997; and...
- Community Employment Schemes
Question 59: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the instigation of increased mainstreaming of community employment schemes providing services for...
- EU Presidency
Question 60: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will provide the minutes of the recent Agenda 133 committee meeting in Dublin Castle. [13903/04]
- Services Sector
Question 61: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action she intends to take in regard to her comments at the recent conference in Dublin Castle, Promoting...
- Older Workers
Question 62: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she has taken to implement the recommendations of the NESF report, Labour Market Issues for Older...
- Health and Safety Regulations
Question 63: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the recent study carried out by the Health and Safety Authority suggesting...
- Decentralisation Programme
Question 64: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of any survey that has been undertaken to establish the number of persons employed in her...
- Work Permits
Question 65: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the new rules announced by her on 18 February 2004 in regard to the new arrangements for spouses of...
- EU Directives
Question 66: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of EU directives for which her Department has responsibility which have yet to be implemented; the...
- Work Permits
Question 67: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures she will take to address the plight of migrant workers who find that they are illegal through no...
- Social Economy Programme
Question 68: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress of the social economy programme; the number of persons in the programme for the years 2000 to 2004...
- Insurance Industry
Question 69: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made to date with regard to the implementation of her action plan for the insurance industry; and...
- Consumer Strategy Group
Question 70: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the role of the recently established consumer strategy group; when it is expected that it will publish a final...
- Job Creation
Question 71: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new jobs announced during 2003 from new investments or expansion of IDA backed plants; the...
- Health and Safety Regulations
Question 72: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the maximum distance and time span for a replacement vessel to be available if a company (details supplied)...
- Unemployment Levels
Question 73: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will give an update on strategies to deal with the high unemployment rate of between 12%-14% in some...
- Ansbacher Report
Question 75: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of recommendations of the Ansbacher report of 2002 which have been implemented; and if she will make...
- Job Losses
Question 76: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of redundancies notified to her Department during 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and to date in 2004; the...
- Work Permits
Question 77: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the promised legislation to put the employment permit regime on a comprehensive and sound statutory...
- Job Losses
Question 78: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the background to proposed redundancies in a company (details supplied); if...
- Price Increases
Question 82: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which she or her Department has examined instances in which the consumers or customers are...
- Insurance Industry
Question 84: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress to date in her efforts to reduce public liability insurance costs; and if she will make a...
- Work Permits
Question 87: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of work permits granted in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the...
- Departmental Funding
Question 89: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which the budget for 2004 is adequate to meet commitments entered into by FÁS and any likely new...
- Commission on the Newspaper Industry
Question 93: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has plans to review the report of the commission on the newspaper industry; and if she will make a...
- Department of Defence
- Pension Provisions
Question 94: To ask the Minister for Defence if the pension issue of a person (details supplied) will be resolved; and if he will work closely with this person's widow. [13969/04]
- Foreign Military Personnel
Question 95: To ask the Minister for Defence if the facilities at Baldonnel Airport were made available to foreign military personnel during the weekend of 30 April to 3 May 2004; and if so, the...
- Department of Agriculture and Food
- Grant Payments
Question 96: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a special beef premium grant cannot be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a...
- Department of Finance
- Civil Service Recruitment
Question 103: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of persons recruited by the Civil Service Commission each year since 1998 and the number projected in 2004. [14077/04]
- Departmental Properties
Question 104: To ask the Minister for Finance the trend in the square footage of space rented by the OPW in each year since 1998 and projected in 2004; and in each year the aggregate rental paid...
- Departmental Programmes
Question 105: To ask the Minister for Finance the aggregate square footage of new works, alterations and additions in each year since 1998 and projected for 2004 undertaken by the OPW; and in...
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Passport Applications
Question 106: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish citizens, living abroad, who have obtained passports in the past five years for which figures are available; the...
- Human Rights Issues
Question 107: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if steps will be taken to ensure the safe return of the Colombia three (details supplied); and if he will report on their current situation....
- Passport Applications
Question 109: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Louth. [13989/04]
- Human Rights Issues
Question 110: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on representations he has made to US authorities on the war crimes committed by US personnel against Iraqi prisoners held...
- Military Neutrality
Question 111: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of overflight permissions granted to foreign military aircraft on the weekend of 30 April to 3 May 2004; the conditions attached...
- Human Rights Issues
Question 113: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) who is serving a 16 year murder sentence in England and to the...
- Diplomatic Representation
Question 114: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Question No. 146 of 31 March 2004, if the Government took no steps to investigate whether the permanent mission of Ireland to the...
- Department of Education and Science
- Superannuation Benefits
Question 115: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if all moneys owed to a person (details supplied) will be reimbursed including interest accruing, that were withheld to this person in...
- Higher Education Grants
Question 116: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason the third instalment of the higher education grant was not awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick in view...
- School Staffing
Question 117: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools that will have their teacher allocations cut for the academic year 2004-05; the number of schools that have been...
- Special Educational Needs
Question 118: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the long-term education plan for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3 with a disability; and if they will be given a place when they...
- Schools Building Projects
Question 119: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will grant permission to Gaelscoil Chomcille, Whitehall, Dublin for a new premises, particularly in view of the fact that it has...
- Residential Institutions Redress Scheme
Question 120: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he has received a notification (details supplied) from the Department of Health and Children; if the institution will now be...
- Special Educational Needs
Question 121: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if and when a special needs assistant will be allocated to a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a...
- State Examinations
Question 123: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he has satisfied himself with the fairness of the system for deciding eligibility for the accommodation on spelling and so on in...
- Special Educational Needs
Question 124: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when EU regulations pertaining to salary payments to part time teachers employed in special teaching schools will be implemented; and...
- Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Question 127: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if provision will be made for an extra classroom teacher for San Carlos school, Leixlip, County Kildare for pupils progressing to...
- Special Educational Needs
Question 128: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Question No. 122 of 9 October 2003, the position regarding the provision of additional teaching resources to a person...
- Educational Projects
Question 129: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he has received the final report of the review of an establishment (details supplied) in Dublin 11; the main recommendations of the...
- Special Educational Needs
Question 130: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will review the special needs of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 and take steps to ensure that they obtain the...
- Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
- Fisheries Protection
Question 133: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the outcome of an investigation regarding the dumping of farmed salmon by persons (details supplied); if...
- Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
- Sports Capital Programme
Question 136: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the details of all the organisations in County Mayo which received grant aid from the sports capital programme; the name of each...
- Department of Health and Children
- Medical Cards
Question 140: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the substantial fee which doctors charge to pensioners who wish to renew their driving licence; if...
- Hospital Services
Question 141: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will give consideration to a request from persons (details supplied) in Dublin 12 to have their child transferred for treatment to...
- Health Board Services
Question 142: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when speech therapy and physiotherapy will be offered to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement...
- Nursing Home Subventions
Question 151: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he intends to increase the nursing home subvention to a more realistic level. [14013/04]
- Hospital Services
Question 152: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be called for hip surgery to Galway Regional Hospital; and the length of time this...
- Overseas Medical Services
Question 153: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will review the case of a dangerously ill person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if he will reconsider their parents' request...
- Department of Transport
- Light Rail Project
Question 154: To ask the Minister for Transport if the operators of the Luas system will introduce a number of free days for the new line to Tallaght during its initial stage in August. [13942/04]
- Public Transport
Question 155: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of applications received by his Department in respect of new bus routes in the greater Dublin area; the areas they apply to; when his...
- Driving Tests
Question 157: To ask the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the 11 month waiting period for a driving test in Killarney, County Kerry; and how he proposes to deal with the...
- Public Transport
Question 158: To ask the Minister for Transport the level of subsidy on a one way trip per person on the DART system. [14011/04]
- Driving Tests
Question 160: To ask the Minister for Transport if and when a driving test can be arranged for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [14044/04]
- Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
- Citizenship Applications
Question 161: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, further to Question No. 865 of 27 January, the position regarding an application for citizenship (details supplied). [13949/04]
- Child Care Facilities
Question 162: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason four applications for large scale capital funding, lodged with the equal opportunity child care programme, have...
- Garda Investigations
Question 164: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform about inquiries into the death of a person (details supplied) after a hit and run accident on 20 July 2001. [14028/04]
- Citizenship Applications
Question 165: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if and when an application for citizenship will be processed in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare....
- Garda Deployment
Question 166: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí on duty on 1 May; the number of armed gardaí on patrol throughout the weekend of 30 April to 3 May in...
- Garda Training
Question 167: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost of riot training for members of the Garda Síochána in the past six months; the number of gardaí involved; their...
- Garda Equipment
Question 168: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the person who authorised the transfer of water cannons from PSNI to the Garda Síochána, and the duration of the loan; if...
- Prisoner Transfers
Question 169: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost to the State of vacating a wing of Cloverhill Prison and the transfer of prisoners to Wheatfield Prison in order to...
- Garda Deployment
Question 170: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost to the State of the Garda security operations for the 1 May celebrations. [14054/04]
- Residency Permits
Question 172: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of the residency application of a person (details supplied); and when this family may expect a determination of...
- Garda Prosecutions
Question 174: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the crime and detection rates by the Garda in each year from 1998 to 2003, inclusive, and classified by headline and...
- Prison Statistics
Question 175: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average number of prisoners held in State prisons in the years 1998 to 2003, inclusive; and his estimate of recidivism...
- Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
- Housing Grants
Question 176: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if additional funding can be provided to local authorities to enable them to proceed with the processing of...
- EU Directives
Question 177: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he intends to introduce laws, regulations and administrative decisions to comply with Directive...
- Housing Grants
Question 178: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reasons for the delay in processing a rural renewal application by a person (details supplied) in County...
- Housing Loans
Question 179: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the interest rate charged in respect of annuity or similar mortgages taken out in the late 1980s or early...
- House Completions
Question 180: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of social houses completed in each year since 1998; and his estimate of the average cost per unit....
- Housing Loans
Question 181: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of shared ownership loans issued in the years 1998 to 2003, inclusive. [14080/04]
- Local Authority Housing
Question 183: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of affordable houses provided in the years 1998 to 2003, inclusive; and the value of the sites...
- Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
- Harbours and Piers
Question 184: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the need for further construction of the area immediately surrounding a recently...
- Department of Social and Family Affairs
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 186: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason for the delay in processing applications for carers allowance; the reason her Department is now dealing with...
