Written answers
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
- Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
- Litter Pollution
Question 44: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will amend the Litter Pollution Act 1997 which enables local authorities to take action only against...
- Hunting Licences
Question 45: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has sufficient information to make a decision on the granting of a stag hunting licence to a hunt...
- Traveller Accommodation
Question 46: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views regarding the provision of Traveller accommodation by local authorities; the number of indigenous...
- Environmental Policy
Question 47: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made to date in delivering on commitments made in the Agreed Programme for Government in relation...
- Election Management System
Question 48: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has proposals to widen the Seanad Éireann electorate for the higher education constituencies where, at...
- Waste Disposal
Question 50: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of incinerators that will be required to deal with municipal waste; the locations of these...
- Recycling Policy
Question 51: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans for putting in place a national recycling infrastructure to process recyclable waste here as opposed...
- Local Authority Housing
Question 52: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he plans to ensure that a proportion of any newly built or acquired social housing is given to those...
- Services for People with Disabilities
Question 53: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the implementation plans regarding accessibility for public parks, playgrounds, open spaces and amenities...
- Local Government Policy
Question 55: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide directly elected mayors for cities other than Dublin; and if he will make a statement on...
- Local Authority Housing
Question 56: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he plans to initiate support for social housing schemes for women and men who are victims of domestic...
- Proposed Legislation
Question 57: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he plans to introduce legislation on foot of the recommendations of the All Party Committee on the...
- Waste Management
Question 59: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his preferred options in regard to waste management and disposal; if it is intended to increase dependency on...
- Private Rented Accommodation
Question 61: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he is taking to ensure that all rented accommodation is inspected by local authorities; and if he...
- Community Development
Question 63: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps being taken to implement the commitment given in the programme for Government to ensure that local...
- Tax Code
Question 64: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will initiate a new motor tax compliance survey as the last survey in 2001 indicated an uncollected tax...
- Environmental Policy
Question 65: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to ensure Ireland's compliance with the environmental liability directive to hold...
- Water and Sewerage Schemes
Question 66: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number and location of the local authorities from which he has received submissions in respect of...
- Local Government Reform
Question 67: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects the Green Paper on local government reform to be published; if he expects the deadline given...
- Water Quality
Question 68: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps his Department is taking to address the findings of a recent Environmental Protection Agency report...
- Water and Sewerage Schemes
Question 69: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the major capital water and sewage schemes sanctioned for funding in County Donegal; the percentage of funding...
- Local Authority Housing
Question 70: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of persons on local authority housing lists at the latest date for which figures are available; the...
- Election Management System
Question 71: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the cost to date of the development, roll out and promotion of the electronic voting and counting system; the...
- Environmental Policy
Question 72: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the call of British Minister, Mr. Hillary Benn, to end the sale of 150 watt light bulbs by...
- Planning Issues
Question 74: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the proposed distances from private dwellings to wind turbines; and if there will be rural and urban...
- Private Rented Accommodation
Question 75: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the legislative restrictions in which the Private Residential Tenancies Board operates, he is...
- Building Regulations
Question 76: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if county and city councils will be enabled and required to employ additional building control inspectors and...
- Election Management System
Question 77: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Government is planning changes to the law governing financial donations to politicians or political...
- Proposed Legislation
Question 78: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress of his consideration of legislation to regulate lobbyists as promised in the programme for...
- Departmental Correspondence
Question 79: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will respond to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24852/07]
- Services for People with Disabilities
Question 83: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has established a Disability Act sectoral plan advisory committee under his Department's...
- Waste Disposal
Question 84: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the markets he has identified as being interested in purchasing the product of mechanical biological treatment...
- Social and Affordable Housing
Question 85: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of social houses and affordable houses provided in 2006 and to date in 2007; the number expected to...
- Traveller Accommodation
Question 86: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the powers of local authorities to deal with illegal parking of Travellers on public or private property that...
- Building Regulations
Question 87: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when his promised examination of the issues related to pyrite in homes in north County Dublin will be...
- Departmental Funding
Question 88: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans he has to counteract the plans to cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Irish...
- Social and Affordable Housing
Question 90: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his real intentions regarding the provision of social housing units until 2010 in view of the fact that there...
- Water and Sewerage Schemes
Question 91: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he will enact the provision in the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 to subject local authorities'...
- Planning Issues
Question 93: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he will take to ensure that Ireland complies with the environmental impact assessment directive 1,...
- Local Government Elections
Question 94: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he plans to review local authority electoral area boundaries in advance of the next local elections...
- Environmental Policy
Question 96: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures he will take in respect of the impact of climate change on coasts and landscapes here; the...
- Housing Grants
Question 97: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the new revised housing adaptation scheme for adapting houses...
- Fire Services
Question 98: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the need for all local fire services to be provided with standardised training....
- Department of Finance
- Financial Services Regulation
Question 100: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the reforms he has proposed to curb the actions of registered money lenders who often charge punitive interest rates; when such...
- Tax Code
Question 101: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief for the development of private child care facilities; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Flood Relief
Question 102: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he has received from Kildare County Council or otherwise, requests for funding to alleviate flooding or flooding prevention in...
- Pension Provisions
Question 103: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the tax reduction in respect of three full-time single employees in their thirties, with the same PRSI class, the same health levy,...
- Tax Code
Question 105: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he has received submissions from the IFA or other representative groups in the matter of CGT or CAT; if he has or will examine such...
- Departmental Investigations
Question 109: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of investigations that have been concluded or are currently under way in the Revenue Commissioners into individual security...
- Department of Health and Children
- Health Service Staff
Question 111: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, regarding the current controversy on cancer services at Portlaoise Hospital, the radiologist and pathologist concerned were on the...
- Departmental Expenditure
Question 113: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the funding supplied by her Department to the assist programme for each of the past three years; her plans to further advance this...
- Health Services
Question 114: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if home help will be allowed for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [28772/07]
- Hospital Services
Question 117: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the patients in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown in need of the services of a plastic surgeon are not referred to...
- Data Protection
Question 118: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the Health Service Executive in the western region requests a consent form from persons when they have authorised their...
- Medical Cards
Question 120: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will ensure that people over 65 who must have a compulsory medical examination in order to renew their driving licence do not...
- Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme
Question 121: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding an application under the nursing home charges repayment scheme for a person (details supplied) in County Cork....
- Health Service Staff
Question 122: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount spent by the Health Service Executive for each of entertainment, hospitality and staff training for the past 12 months; and...
- Services for People with Disabilities
Question 124: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason a child (details supplied) in County Meath who had been receiving early intervention services until their sixth birthday, has...
- Health Service Staff
Question 125: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the Hanly report is Government policy; if so, the way it will be possible to reduce junior doctors to 2000 when it is clear that...
- Health Services
Question 126: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will extend the number of home care packages available to County Limerick. [28830/07]
- Hospital Waiting Lists
Question 128: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will ask the Health Service Executive to urgently examine the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who is...
- Ambulance Service
Question 129: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the outcome of the review of ambulance personnel and recruitment embargoes that was to take place at end of October 2007. [28849/07]
- Hospital Services
Question 134: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether there are already many centres of excellence operating in public hospitals; and if there has been research carried...
- Health Services
Question 136: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the eastern community works programme in Thomas Street, Dublin 8 is being discontinued by the Health Service Executive; the...
- Medical Cards
Question 137: To ask the Minister for Health and Children, further to her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 253 of 16 October 2007, if a public hospital may charge a fee to an elderly person...
- Cancer Screening Programme
Question 138: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if there has been a review of mammography services in Cork University Hospital; if so, when the parameters of the review and findings of...
- Child Care Services
Question 140: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of capital funding which has been made available to developers or individuals to develop private child care facilities in...
- Hospital Services
Question 141: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive the results of a grid x-ray; and when they can expect to be given a date...
- Health Service Staff
Question 142: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of new appointments in front-line services in the Dublin north east regions of the Health Service Executive over recent weeks...
- Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme
Question 143: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to difficulties being encountered by persons with intellectual disabilities and their families who are...
- Registration of Marriages
Question 144: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason it was deemed necessary to change the rules in relation to the new marriage laws; the reason these major changes were not...
- Department of Transport
- Motor Insurance
Question 145: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will make a statement on the cost of motor insurance in this State particularly for young drivers; and the measures he will introduce to...
- National Development Plan
Question 146: To ask the Minister for Transport if the by-pass of Adare village is included in the Government's National Development Plan 2007 to 2013 as announced in January 2007. [28806/07]
- Road Network
Question 147: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in view of the fact that the outer orbital route from north Dublin/south Meath to the M7 is not part of Transport 21, additional funding will...
- Public Transport
Question 149: To ask the Minister for Transport the reason the tax saver commuter ticket scheme does not apply to electric bicycles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28810/07]
- Transport Policy
Question 150: To ask the Minister for Transport the projects under Transport 21 which have been completed. [28869/07]
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Passport Applications
Question 151: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport has been issued to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22. [28835/07]
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Financial Services Sector
Question 152: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount that has been contributed by companies operating in the international and domestic financial services industry...
- Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
- Decentralisation Programme
Question 153: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when the decentralisation of the Arts Council to Kilkenny is intended to happen. [28841/07]
- Sports Funding
Question 155: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the supports available for equestrian centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28871/07]
- Department of Social and Family Affairs
- Anti-Social Behaviour
Question 156: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the levels of anti-social behaviour activities being exercised by certain tenants in receipt of rental supplements;...
- Social Welfare Appeals
Question 157: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when an invalidity pension hearing will be offered to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a...
- Social Welfare Code
Question 158: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if cut-off points will be introduced for income earned from leasing farmland for retired farmers applying for the old age pension;...
- Anti-Poverty Strategy
Question 162: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his priorities, in view of his statement that he wants to make a decisive impact on poverty, for achieving same; the progress made...
- Social Welfare Code
Question 163: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on whether the unemployment assistance scheme is the correct model and whether claimants receive enough income to...
- Social Insurance
Question 164: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he expects the rate of PRSI to be reduced from 4% to 2% in budget 2008 as was promised by his party earlier in 2007; and if he...
- Social Welfare Code
Question 165: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he is satisfied with the one parent allowance scheme as it operates; the new proposals he has introduced to update this...
- Pension Provisions
Question 166: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason for the delay in proposing new legislation in the area of pension reform in view of the acknowledged future expected...
- Money Advice and Budgeting Service
Question 167: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of calls the money advice and budgeting service's recently introduced low call telephone number has received in its...
- Anti-Poverty Strategy
Question 168: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the percentage of households in poverty in 2006 and to date in 2007 which were headed by a person with a job. [28899/07]
- Social Welfare Code
Question 169: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cost to the Exchequer of the rental subsidy allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28905/07]
- Department of Agriculture and Food
- Grant Payments
Question 171: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when installation aid grant due to person (detail supplied) in County Galway will be awarded; the reasons for the delay; and...
- Rural Environment Protection Scheme
Question 173: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of farmers who have joined REP scheme four to date; and the steps she will take to deal with Natura designated...
- Farm Improvement Scheme
Question 174: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason sources in her Department were quoted in a newspaper (details supplied) on 27 October 2007 as denying a threat...
- Milk Quota
Question 176: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she has received a request for additional quota from a person (details supplied) in County Cork; when the tribunal will...
- Rural Environment Protection Scheme
Question 177: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount of money to be spent on the REP scheme in 2007. [28848/07]
- Farm Improvement Scheme
Question 179: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the supports available for equestrian centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28870/07]
- Pesticide Controls
Question 180: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of fruit and vegetables tested for pesticides in 2006; the type of pesticide detected regarding these number of...
- Animal Breeding Regulations
Question 181: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of rare indigenous breeds of cattle that have been identified by her Department; the measures in place to protect...
- Grant Payments
Question 182: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when an area aid payment to a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be processed and paid; and if she will make a...
- Department of Education and Science
- School Services Staff
Question 183: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the pension benefits accruing to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and their entitlements under the pension scheme. [28774/07]
- Home Tuition
Question 184: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of children who received tuition from the home based July tuition scheme in 2007; the number of parents of children who...
- Summer Works Scheme
Question 185: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the list of schools approved for the 2008 summer works scheme is available. [28792/07]
- Schools Building Projects
Question 186: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the development of schools (details supplied) in County Mayo; and when permission will be given to proceed to...
- School Management
Question 187: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the procedures in place for dealing with complaints from parents regarding individual teachers in school; and the advice that should...
- School Accommodation
Question 188: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to the application for new accommodation at a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if she will...
- School Curriculum
Question 189: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she expects physical education to become a recognised subject on both the junior and leaving certificate curriculum; the...
- School Placement
Question 190: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when school placement in Celbridge can be arranged for persons (details supplied) in County Kildare. [28879/07]
- Schools Building Projects
Question 191: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the proposals she has received from County Kildare VEC with regard to the provision of second level accommodation to service the needs...
- Special Educational Needs
Question 195: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [28942/07]
- School Curriculum
Question 196: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her position on the introduction of bonus leaving certificate points for maths and science subjects; if she has immediate or long-term...
- Psychological Service
Question 197: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of private psychologists contracted by the National Educational Psychological Service in January 2007; the number of...
- Department of Defence
- Defence Forces Property
Question 198: To ask the Minister for Defence if the process of transferring the lands at Magee Barracks, Kildare to Kildare County Council for affordable housing purposes has been concluded; if...
- Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
- Garda Operations
Question 199: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average response times for gardaí when dealing with emergency calls in 2005, 2006 and to date in 2007; the average...
- Closed Circuit Television Systems
Question 201: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will sanction money to provide closed circuit television cameras for a community group in Croom, County Limerick...
- Illegal Immigrants
Question 202: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will introduce a temporary permit or bridging visa to allow undocumented migrants to re-enter the system; and if he...
- Immigration Issues
Question 203: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will clarify the status of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens who come to Ireland and their entitlements regarding...
- Asylum Applications
Question 204: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress on the application for refugee status by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a...
- Garda Deployment
Question 205: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will allocate additional gardaí to Castlecomer Garda station in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on...
- Garda Stations
Question 206: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he will proceed with the construction of a new Garda station in Kilkenny city; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Residency Permits
Question 207: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 268 on 7 November 2007, the date the requirement for a police clearance...
- Asylum Applications
Question 212: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of asylum applications which were deemed by his Department to be withdrawn in each of the past five years; the...
- Recidivism Rate
Question 213: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of the 2641 prisoners referred to in Parliamentary Question No. 476 of 6 November 2007 who had previous...
- Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
- Building Regulations
Question 215: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the urgent measures he will adopt to ensure that private apartment schemes have adequate fire safety...
- Water and Sewerage Schemes
Question 216: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Ennis water augmentation scheme will be delivered on time; if there are plans to fast track the...
- Local Authority Housing
Question 225: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will confirm that his Department has received an application from Westmeath County Council seeking...
- Waste Management
Question 230: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is satisfied that adequate funding will be provided by his Department to ensure that waste management...
- Water Supply
Question 236: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received technical advice on the degree to which the River Liffey continues to provide supplies of...
- Air Pollution
Question 239: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has been informed of any areas throughout the country which appear to have particular problems with air...
- Local Authority Funding
Question 241: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent to which he expects to provide the necessary funding to the various local authorities in County...
- Waste Management
Question 243: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the reports referred to in the Dáil indicating that four incinerators was the number mentioned in a...
- Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
- Pension Provisions
Question 245: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is entitled to pension under court hearing or court decision...
- Telecommunications Services
Question 246: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the new generation network broadband pilot programme will be extended to the mid-west region; if funding...
