66 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on plans for a trade mission to Russia in 2007; if it is intended that there be a Ministerial delegation as part of this trade mission; the estimated cost of the trade mission; his goals and targets for the trade mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15457/07]
21 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views, in view of the stark difference in the number of work permits issued to Romanian and Bulgarian nationals as against the number of PPS numbers issued to Romanian and Bulgarian nationals in 2007, on whether there is a significant problem of so called false contracting being used to exploit such workers; the steps he is taking to ensure that workers are not exploited through incorrect use of contracts to avoid employers’ duties and responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15458/07]
216 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if access to a special needs assistant will be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who has dyspraxic tendencies and is difficult to engage in learning activities in the classroom; if the contents of the school based psychological report on this child have been considered by her Department in the context of this child’s special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[15501/07]
93 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress made to date with regard to the implementation of the 2003 report of the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs on carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15195/07]
47 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress made in regard to his consideration of the research commissioned by the Financial Regulator and the Combat Poverty Agency on the nature and extent of debt incurred by low income families; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15196/07]
860 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that County Wexford VEC has refused a higher education grant to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford on the basis that they are unable to provide a utility bill to vouch that they reside independently of their parents; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that it is commonplace for a rented house shared by several people to have utility bills in the name of one tenant only; if in such circumstances written confirmation from a landlord will suffice as evidence of tenancy for grant purposes; the way she will ensure that her Department’s rules do not disadvantage legitimate applicants who cannot comply with the utility bill requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[14665/07]
249 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance if the increases in firearms licence fees provided for in the Finance Act 2007 were recommended by the Department of Justice. Equality and Law Reform; if other submissions were considered by him in determining the rate of increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14618/07]
164 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number who died violently at sea and accidentally in relation to missing persons who were found dead during the period 1999 to 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14698/07]
55 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding made available by his Department for the teaching of Irish in educational institutions abroad; the amount of money allocated; the colleges and institutions to which money was given; the effectiveness of such programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15001/07]
154 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to a newspaper report (details supplied) in which it is claimed that an insurance company had been using former and serving gardaí to negotiate early settlement of motor insurance claims and that these former and serving gardaí had the ability to access, source and relay detailed information on road traffic accidents through the Garda computer system and records; if an investigation has been held or is planned into these claims; the steps he is taking to ensure the confidentiality of records in the Garda computer system; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13940/07]
153 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the basis on which a memorandum of understanding was concluded between An Garda Síochána and one motor insurance company (details supplied); if the public was made aware of the existence of such a memorandum; if any other insurance company was offered a similar arrangement; the way the accrued savings of €10,000 to the Gardaí arose; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13939/07]
152 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application for a declaration of death in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 who disappeared from the Rosslare to Pembroke ferry in September 1994; if such a declaration is expected to be made in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13936/07]
72 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce a national waiver scheme, to provide financial relief for households, including pensioners who are experiencing hardships arising from the payment of waste charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13264/07]
63 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to regulate the operation of the private waste collection and waste treatment industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13263/07]
62 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will confirm that more than 10,000 requests were made by the Garda during 2006 under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 for access to personal telephone records; his views on the view of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner that such a number of applications suggests that innocent people are having their private records pored over; the breakdown of the requests submitted in regard to those arising from investigations into terrorist offences, drugs offences and other serious offences; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12902/07]
40 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to a recent newspaper report (details supplied) which says that a site adjacent to Thornton Hall was sold for around €100,000 per acre, approximately half the price paid for the Thornton Hall site; if he will confirm that this site was also short listed for the possible prison; the reason this site was rejected; his views on whether the Thornton Hall site represents value for the taxpayers money; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12903/07]
9 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the Judicial Council Bill is expected to be published; the consultation he has had with members of the Judiciary regarding the contents of the Bill; his views, in view of a recent case, that there is no procedure for dealing with breaches of conduct by judges apart from the impeachment process provided for under the Constitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13254/07]
6 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the decision of the Supreme Court to increase to €4.7 million compensation paid to a person (details supplied) arising from what the court described as the outrageous conduct by gardaí to the person; if the Garda will issue a formal apology to the person; his further views on the observation by the court that no explanation had been provided as to the way a person in authority later very cynically arranged for an offer to be made to the person that, on condition of dropping their appeal, they would secure early release; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13253/07]
280 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that, in the south east, the waiting period for the pre-course required before the assessment procedure for international adoption applicants is in excess of eighteen months and that this delay is due to the inadequate number of social workers employed in the south-east; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that currently international adoptions can take as much as four years to complete; the steps she proposes to take to remedy this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[12379/07]
134 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport if he will outline in each case the way the public service obligation payment for 2007 for Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus was arrived at; the specific routes, areas, passenger profile and other category on which the PSO applies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12645/07]
100 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport when he will bring the full list of penalty point categories into force; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12668/07]
100 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children her views on the Health Service Executive tendering a development for acutely ill respiratory patients called Hospital in the Home to a private health care company; her further views on the lack of funding for existing respiratory outreach programmes through public hospitals which had hoped to expand and which was effective; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[12066/07]
93 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the reported 30,000 backlogged smear tests waiting to be examined here; if she will confirm reports that these backlogged tests are to be sent to the US to be processed; her views on plans for a national cervical cancer screening programme; her further views on whether without the means to process tests that a national programme is meaningless; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[12067/07]
256 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact the current enrolment of 247 pupils at a school (details supplied) in County Wexford is projected to increase to 319 by the year 2011 and that four classes are at present conducted from prefabricated buildings; when her Department will issue a schedule of accommodation works to enable this school’s building project to proceed to detailed design in view of the urgent need for additional accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[12089/07]
591 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science further to a parliamentary question regarding the provision of school transport for certain children in Blackwater, County Wexford, her views on the fact that the provision of transport on a temporary basis is of little value to the students and parents concerned and that it is not practical for students and parents to cancel existing private arrangements which might not be subsequently available in order to avail of a very temporary public provision; her further views on the fact that the parents have made a compelling case for the provision of publicly provided transport for these pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[11743/07]
239 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the funding made available by his Department to the Irish Missing Persons’ Helpline; his views on whether an all Ireland integrated missing persons’ helpline should be established; the progress made on this matter since his reply to Parliamentary Question Nos. 196 and 221 of 21 November 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11707/07]
138 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will review the level of funding allocated under the recent hardship scheme for salmon fishermen and the €5 million level of funding designated for the general coastal communities support; his views on extending the deadline for applications for the scheme beyond 31 March 2007; if he has had contacts with the representatives of the salmon driftnet fishermen who have indicated that they intend to defy the introduction of the salmon single stock management regime in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11349/07]
132 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has received and reviewed the European Consumers’ Organisation report on the third Postal Directive; if he will support at EU level BEUC’s proposed amendments such as the strengthening of the guarantee for the provision of the universal service obligation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11348/07]
136 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans she will put in place to enable two persons (details supplied) in County Wexford to get the speech therapy they need, in view of the fact that the replacement speech therapist is not taking on any extra clients and that one person is due to start school in September 2007 and the other who was due to be assessed in January 2007 has still not been assessed.
[10862/07]
97 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will sanction further schools under the patronage of vocational education committees; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10715/07]
34 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on a recent survey by the INTO that indicates that bullying is very prevalent in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10716/07]
152 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussion he has had on human rights in recent times with the People’s Republic of China.
[10520/07]
855 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of an application to the Residential Institutions Redress Board of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; if a decision on their claim will be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[10068/07]
785 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a psychological assessment report undertaken by an educational assessment and counselling psychologist in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford recommended that they be provided with access to a reader when sitting their leaving certificate examination owing to the degree of their specific learning difficulty; if, in view of this report, she will indicate the basis for her Department’s assertion that the evidence did not support the granting of the accommodation sought; if she will review this case in view of the psychologist’s recommendation; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9627/07]
603 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to an invalidity pension appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Wexford, the date on which a request from the appeals office for receipt of this appellant’s file was received in his Department; the reason the file has not been forwarded to the appeals office; if he will ensure that determination of this appeal is not delayed by failure to deliver the file in good time; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9882/07]
293 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance if the site for the new Garda headquarters in Wexford town is in public ownership; the price paid for the site; when the transfer to the State was effected; when a contract for construction will be signed; when construction will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9631/07]
222 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application for long-term residency by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9872/07]
212 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason section 250 of the Children Act 2001 was incorrectly represented in the accompanying explanatory memorandum as proposing a new offence which provided a higher penalty for soliciting or importuning a child for the purpose of prostitution; if confusion as to the nature or purpose of the section led to the subsequent non-prosecution of the offence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9708/07]
211 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason there was a decline and then cessation over the past seven years in the number of prosecutions under section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences) Act 1993; if advice or directive of a prosecution or policing nature was issued which had this consequence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9707/07]
120 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance when the stamp duty loophole involving the use of licensing arrangements in respect of land transfer and development land deals, to avoid capital taxation including stamp duty will be closed; the exact date after which new deals will be subject to the new arrangements; the number of house properties and estates and land transfer and development schemes that qualified for the avoidance of capital taxes for each year from the year 2000 to date in 2007; if he will pursue companies or individuals that avoided stamp duty under this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10214/07]
70 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of complaints her Department has received arising from the activities of the Special Investigations Unit of her Department during each of the past five years; the outcome of each complaint; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9075/07]
22 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has held either informal or formal discussions directly with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland or with the Department of Health and Children or the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government regarding environmental labelling of Irish food; her views of the UK Government’s recent report in collaboration with Manchester University Business School on the environmental impacts of food production and consumption; her views on whether her Department should contribute to the commissioning of a project to map the environmental impacts of the top 150 food products sold in supermarkets here; if not, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter of environmental food labelling.
[9099/07]
100 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the rate of inflation has now reached 5.2% and that the increase in the Estimates for his Department was only 4.6% and that this represents a reduction in real terms on the 2006 estimates; his plans to ensure that cutbacks in defence spending do not occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8881/07]
155 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Defence his views on the wide variation in the assessment of the level of the military threat in Lebanon to UNIFIL troops between himself and a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8880/07]
328 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that full year, full cost radio/television licences must be obtained in respect of caravans and holiday homes even where such premises are used for only a number of weeks in the year; his views on arranging such licensing where appropriate on a part year basis at pro rata cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8261/07]
113 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views, in view of the stark difference in the number of work permits issued to Romanian and Bulgarian nationals as against the number of PPS numbers issued to Romanian and Bulgarian nationals in 2007, on whether there is a significant problem of so-called false contracting being used to exploit such workers; the steps he is taking to ensure that workers are not exploited through incorrect use of contracts to avoid employers’ duties and responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8328/07]
102 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on plans for a trade mission to Kazakhstan in 2007; if it is intended that there will be a Ministerial delegation as part of this trade mission; the estimated cost of this trade mission; his goals and targets for the trade mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8327/07]
143 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children if in relation to charges levied on people in receipt of in-patient services on premises where nursing care is provided on a 24 hour basis on those premises, the charges will be varied to take account of regular weekends and holidays spent by the patient in the family home or if the full charge of €120 is to be levied irrespective of time spent at home; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8187/07]
64 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the latest position with regard to his discussions with representatives of the credit union movement with a possible view to providing additional credit options for low income families; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7904/07]
35 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress made in regard to his consideration of the research commissioned by the Financial Regulator and the Combat Poverty Agency on the nature and extent of debt incurred by low income families; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7903/07]