144 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who resides in the catchment area of a school, has been unable to secure a placement for 2008 due to the fact that the number of applicants exceeds available places by 15; if she will take steps to ensure that this child can attend the school of their parents’ choice.
[11034/08]
25 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps he has taken to increase the usage of publicly funded arts centres; if he will ensure that these centres will be opened up to local groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10832/08]
550 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10595/08]
543 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10600/08]
495 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10603/08]
450 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Defence the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10597/08]
436 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of civil servants in her Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10598/08]
364 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of civil servants in her Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10593/08]
342 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10596/08]
332 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10604/08]
318 Deputy Brendan Howlin a sked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10594/08]
308 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10599/08]
279 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10601/08]
270 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Transport the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10606/08]
251 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of civil servants in her Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10602/08]
162 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10033/08]
156 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach the number of civil servants in his Department who have attended courses on stress management in the workplace between 2005 and 2007; if stress reduction procedures have been put in place arising from attendance at such courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10605/08]
59 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to introduce measures to protect rail commuters from unscheduled and last minute train cancellations under the new Public Transport Regulation Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9639/08]
566 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his proposals to deal with the ongoing problem of litter on motorways, dual carriageways and roadways; if he plans particular initiatives to deal with this growing nuisance; if he has initiated an audit by his Department of the extent of this problem; if he has raised this issue with local authorities or the National Roads Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9130/08]
468 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if an application from a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny for permission to live and work in the State on the basis of marriage to an Irish national has been received in his Department; if all documentation required for processing of this application has been submitted; when a decision will be made in relation to this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8771/08]
385 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is the case that staff numbers in her Department’s offices at Johnstown Castle Estate in County Wexford have reduced from approximately 400 to 340; the reason for this reduction; her views on whether this staff reduction supports the Government’s decentralisation goals; the rationale for reducing staff numbers at Johnstown Castle while simultaneously building new offices and moving staff from Johnstown to Portlaoise; the reason additional operations of her Department have not been decentralised to Wexford in view of the phasing out of export refunds; if she will provide details of Government strategy in relation to Johnstown Castle and projected staffing requirements at that location up to 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9102/08]
342 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in relation to a Romanian born child whose adoption by an Irish couple has been approved by the Adoption Board but cannot be completed owing to problems with the Romanian legal system; if it is the case that a UN travel document would designate this child a refugee although they have lived with their adoptive parents for ten years; if an application for a further passport (details supplied), as an alternative to a UN travel document, to enable this child to travel to Lourdes in May 2008 with their adoptive parents, will be favourably considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8917/08]
284 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children if she is considering the introduction of a funding scheme to assist voluntary groups providing defibrillator services; when the details of this scheme will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9147/08]
203 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will favourably consider reducing the VAT rate on defibrillators operated by voluntary local groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9146/08]
116 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if it is intended to implement the recent EU data retention legislation; the main features of what is proposed; if it will be carried out by primary legislation or by regulations; the consultations there have been or will be with interested groups and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8966/08]
488 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the terms of the European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 435 of 20040) and planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 436 of 2004) were compiled with the preparation of the notice of intention to designate Wexford harbour and Slobs SPA as special protection area.; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7597/08]
118 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many elderly persons and their families were obliged to arrange and pay for private nursing home care due to the lack of public facilities to meet their needs; her views on whether it is equitable that such persons were precluded from seeking repayment of nursing home fees under the terms of the health repayment scheme; her further views on the introduction of a further health repayment scheme to afford equity of treatment of persons who paid fees in respect of private long stay beds only because no public long stay beds were made available to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7423/08]
66 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the status, in terms of legislation, implementation and monitoring, of preparations for the single European payments area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7740/08]
38 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his proposals for a review of VAT classifications with a view to reducing the rate of VAT applied to certain environmental goods and services in regard to the commitment contained in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7739/08]
28 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the initiatives planned to promote the indigenous fishing industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7113/08]
23 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the initiatives she is undertaking in 2008 to help combat climate change; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7093/08]
680 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when funding will be allocated to Wexford County Council under the housing aid for older people scheme and the disabled person scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6408/08]
496 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the basis on which school transport has been refused in the case of a child (details supplied) in County Wexford who attends a primary school 5.1 miles from the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6237/08]
402 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in relation to rent supplements payable under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, if his attention has been drawn to the rent ceiling on which supplement is based are entirely unrealistic in the current rental market and that this gives rise to a situation in which persons on very low incomes are obliged to make private arrangements with landlords for payment of higher rents in order to secure accommodation; if he will review the rent limits under the rent supplement scheme to take account of realistic rent levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5957/08]
183 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of small scale building works which are required to be undertaken and funded at a school (details supplied) in County Wexford in view of the suspension of the summer works scheme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that costs have been incurred by this school in preparing projects in expectation that they would be under the summer works scheme; if she will review the decision to suspend the summer works scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5808/08]
426 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when it is intended to provide a MANs network for the towns of Enniscorthy, New Ross and Gorey in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5467/08]
425 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the name of each town with an operational metropolitan area network; the number and name of towns to be provided with a MANs network; the number of customers connected to each MANs network at present; the cost of the connection to each MANs; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5466/08]
105 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children the basis on which voluntary management childcare groups who have been approved capital funds in excess of €300,000 are required to execute a legal mortgage in favour of the Office of the Minister for Children; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[4453/08]
507 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has received an application for major capital works for a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; when this application was received and its status; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the school buildings have defective windows, minimum insulation, a very old roof and an antiquated mechanical and electrical system; if she will afford priority to this funding application; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3119/08]
225 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if members of the Garda Síochána are exempt from the ban on the use of hand held mobile telephones while driving; the basis for such exemption; his views on whether such exemption is warranted in view of the availability of hands-free mobile telephones; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2790/08]
158 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Transport the position in relation to the provision of an emergency towing vessel service for the Irish coastline; if this matter will be progressed in cooperation with the Government of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2810/08]
1288 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the waiting period for processing of applications for naturalisation; when the application for naturalisation of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford was received in his Department; when, approximately, this application will be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2557/08]
1250 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when an application for naturalisation by a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be dealt with by his Department; the waiting period for processing of naturalisation applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2048/08]
841 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her attention has been drawn to the fact that on the night of 12 January 2008 and the afternoon of 13 January 2008, during dangerously inclement weather when winter storms were battering the harbour walls at Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, fishermen who had given notice to fisheries officers of their intention to land their catch were forced by those officers to keep their vessels outside the harbour until the required four hour notice period had fully elapsed; if that compliance with the four hour rule takes precedence over safety considerations; if she will take steps to ensure that incidents such as those complained of by Kilmore Quay fishermen are not repeated; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1578/08]
272 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to a child (details supplied) in County Wexford that the Health Service Executive’s consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist has recommended for referral to a clinical psychologist who is experienced in working with children with autism; when her Department will nominate such a clinical psychologist to provide services for this child; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[2044/08]
361 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) residing in New Ross, County Wexford is threatened with deportation from Ireland despite the fact that they have no family, and that both their parents and sister have been shot; if this case will be reconsidered on humanitarian grounds in view of the youth and unfortunate position of the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35771/07]
888 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Cork who has been residing here for eight years and is the parent of an Irish born child, his attention has been drawn to the fact that having had to return to Ukraine in order to obtain a replacement for their lost passport, they have been informed by the Irish Embassy that it will be three months before they can obtain a visa to enable them to return to Ireland; if he will take steps to ensure that a visa is issued in this case without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33817/07]
218 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he is satisfied with conditions for Gardaí employed at Wexford Garda Station; when he expects the new Wexford Garda Station to be available for occupation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32968/07]
176 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6 who has been out of work owing to a debilitating injury since April 2007 has been informed by their local community welfare officer that rent allowance will cease to be payable at the end of December 2007 and that the person concerned has been unable to secure alternative cheaper accommodation with a landlord willing to accept rent allowance; if he will intervene to ensure a more humane consideration of this person’s ongoing rent allowance entitlement as regulation of the supplementary welfare scheme is a matter for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33070/07]
78 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if the site has been acquired for the new Garda divisional headquarters for Wexford; the cost of acquiring the site; when he expects construction on this project to begin; when he expects the new station to be available for occupation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32969/07]