465 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received correspondence from the Chief Justice in regard to statements he made in which he referred to 24 associates of a deceased criminal having been arrested and 23 of them being granted bail despite objections from the Gardaí; if he has replied to such correspondence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2905/07]
464 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in regard to statements he made in which he referred to 24 associates of a deceased criminal having been arrested and 23 of them being granted bail despite objections from the Gardaí, he will list the cases he was referring to; if he will confirm that the Gardaí objected to bail in all cases; if not, the number of cases in which they objected to bail; the offences with which people were charged in each case; the number of such cases where bail was initially refused but then granted by a higher Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2904/07]
419 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether the working conditions for members in the divisional headquarters of An Garda Síochána in Wexford is unsatisfactory; if his attention has been drawn to the level of frustration at the lack of progress on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2428/07]
309 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application for a visa under the family reunification scheme in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1580/07]
135 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of redundancies in 2006; if he has specific plans to address this problem during the first half of 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2524/07]
129 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on his Department’s work towards the implementation of Towards 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2523/07]
109 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will accept the recommendation of the Law Reform Commission that same sex cohabitants should be treated in the same way as opposite sex cohabitants for social welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[43119/06]
57 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the recent UN Development Programme Human Development Report for 2006, published on 9 November 2006, particularly the finding that Ireland ranks seventeenth out of 18 rich countries for poverty levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[43120/06]
Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the Government will take to deal with the upsurge in gun murders having regard to the fact that there have been four such killings within the past week and that the death toll for 2006 has reached 25; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
102 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on a new study from the National Advisory Committee on Drugs that states that though there have been improvements in the drugs situation in Dublin, certain communities are still frightened and at risk of being overwhelmed by their drugs experience; if he will respond to their recommendation that a new set of indicators to identify emerging drug problems earlier in order that they can be tackled more quickly should be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42840/06]
99 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to new Garda figures showing that the illegal drugs trade here has grown to record proportions in 2006 following an unexpected increase in the availability of heroin; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the trade in softer drugs such as cannabis and ecstasy are being displaced by sales of cocaine and heroin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42842/06]
489 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the position of the application for an extension to a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; when work will begin on this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[42783/06]
203 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received representations from a centre (details supplied) who provide accommodation for up to 15 people, mainly young men, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the support granted through the probation and welfare service is inadequate to meet recognised need; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the National Wage Agreements have not been granted to staff for three years; if the recent audit of the facility is available to him; and if he will ensure that sufficient funding will be made available to enable this important resource to remain open.
[42436/06]
175 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects the next report on the 42 national service indicators for local authorities; the plans he has to review those indicators; the arrangements that will be made to involve consumers of local authority services in the review of the indicators; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42591/06]
181 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on increasing the grant aid available for sewerage schemes (details supplied) to the same level as that available for group water schemes; the reason for the considerable difference in contributions by his Department as between these two schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42118/06]
61 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made to date by the gardaí in regard to the murder of a person (details supplied); if he is satisfied that appropriate protection was given to the person, having regard to reports that both they and their solicitor had received death threats; if a review is planned of the procedures for providing protection in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41906/06]
73 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made with regard to the establishment of the Garda Ombudsman Commission; the number of staff recruited to date; when he expects that the commission will be in a position to begin dealing with complaints from the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42072/06]
21 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in regard to the death of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly in February 2002, and the fact that there has been an acknowledgement by the Commissioner of the Garda that there were several failings in the original Garda investigation and that a subsequent re-investigation was ordered, he accepts the need for an appropriate mechanism to be found for an independent review of the entire Garda investigation; if, notwithstanding the fact that it is not yet fully operational, he will request the office of the Garda ombudsman to initiate a full inquiry into all aspects of the inquiry in view of the seriousness of the issues raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41905/06]
6 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the recent findings of the Eircom PhoneWatch burglary report for 2006 which showed an increase of 25% in the rate of burglaries and 35% in the Dublin area; the steps the Garda is taking to combat burglaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41909/06]
2 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the upsurge in the number of gun murders in recent months; the number of gun murders recorded to date in 2006; the way this compares to the same period for 2005; the steps being taken to deal with these crimes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42071/06]
227 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his Department received applications for registry of a ship (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact and if he will explain the reason a certificate of registry was not issued from 1999 when the current owners purchased the vessel, thereby making legal fishing impossible; the basis on which the provisions of S.I. No. 245 of 2005 and S.I. No. 464 of 2005 were not applied in relation to registration of this vessel; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41870/06]
171 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a holiday visa has been refused in the case of a person (details supplied); if he will review the decision made in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41992/06]
68 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.
[41657/06]
37 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to ensure that the taxpayer receives value for money in relation to the construction and acquisition costs for major roads and public transport projects.
[41663/06]
495 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of an application from a school (details supplied) in County Wexford for funding under the devolved grant scheme for smaller schools; if she will ensure that the substantial extension of premises required to accommodate this school’s greatly increased enrolment will be built before September 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41533/06]
494 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children with special needs who are currently receiving State funded education outside the State; the number of children receiving such education who are on the autistic spectrum; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41525/06]
453 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the basis on which a person (details supplied) in County Wexford has been informed by her Department that their higher diploma in education is not recognised and that they must undertake SCG in order to teach here; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41103/06]
196 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in respect of the death of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly in February 2002, the Garda Commissioner has established the members of the Garda who are alleged to have informed the State pathologist that the person was suicidal; the reason the gardaí did not take a witness statement from the person’s alleged assailant until six months after the disappearance; the reason having taken apparently contradictory witness statements from three men among the last to see the person alive, the gardaí did not re-interview the men in an attempt to reconcile these statements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41604/06]
195 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in respect of the death of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly in February 2002, any serving or retired members of the Garda have been interviewed by the team reinvestigating the death; if so, if disciplinary action has been taken or is planned; if the Commissioner has established the way the contents of an unsigned statement taken by the gardaí from another person and presented to the jury at the inquest into the person’s death was subsequently denied in its entirety; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41603/06]
194 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in respect of the death of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly in February 2002, he has sought or received a copy of the report of the reinvestigation team; if so, the date of the request and the date on which it was received; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in response to a number of questions put to him by RTÉ radio, the Garda Commissioner stated that there were several failings in the investigation into the person’s death; if he has received an indication from the Commissioner as to the action, planned as a consequence of these failings; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41602/06]
171 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application for a holiday visa for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41252/06]
164 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application for naturalisation from a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; if a decision on this application will be expedited in view of the nature of the applicant’s work which requires them to travel freely within the EU and is hindered in doing so by virtue of the fact that they must repeatedly satisfy visa requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41141/06]
154 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is no access to medical help for victims of rape in Dublin at weekends as there is no doctor available for on-call duty in the city’s sexual assault unit; her views on whether this is acceptable; the locations and hours of sexual assault units here; the steps she will take to address the gap in cover; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41390/06]
112 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children further to the publication of the report into deaths in Leas Cross, her views on the recommendations made in the report; the measures she will take to ensure implementation of the recommendations; the timeframe for implementation of same; the timeframe for an independent inspectorate for nursing homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41391/06]
76 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that being without a further contract of employment in 2002 and thus without an income, a person (details supplied) was obliged under duress to sign a waiver of their right to a pension lump sum in order to draw down their severance payment; if he will take steps to ensure that the full benefit of the 1997 scheme which did not entail forfeiture of pension lump sum is restored to this person; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41059/06]
133 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 257 on 9 March, 2005, in which he confirmed his own responsibility in law as Minister for the performance of any functions which are assigned by law to his Department, the basis on which he proposes to confer statutory functions in relation to prison building on the Prison Service, a section of his Department, separate and distinct from the statutory functions vested in himself as Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40762/06]
84 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on the fact that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has to subsidise schools to rent books to children whose families cannot afford to pay for the books they are required to have for the basic school curriculum; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40164/06]
50 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will direct the building unit of her Department, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works, to change the policy of reserving land for educational purposes to a policy of purchasing land for educational purposes in areas of rapid development, in order that sites for schools can be bought at reasonable prices and in time to provide places for children in these areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40165/06]
52 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the present position in Lebanon with particular attention to the Government in that country, in view of reports in the last week indicating that a number of Ministers have offered their resignations.
[39553/06]
72 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Iran, especially with regard to the need for Iranian officials to engage with counterparts in the United States; and any offer of support for such talks which Ireland has made.
[39554/06]
139 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance the amount paid to date to the Revenue Commissioners Office in respect of settlements made in connection with its investigation into the use of life assurance policies for tax evasion; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39254/06]
80 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance the latest information available from the central applications facility in respect of applications from civil servants and other public servants currently located in Dublin who wish to transfer to new locations outside of Dublin under the Government’s decentralisation programme; the way this compares with the Government target of 10,300; if agreement has been reached with all public service unions regarding promotional opportunities for persons who chose to move and those who opt to remain where they are; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39244/06]
269 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children when it is proposed to introduce a new Pharmacy Act; if the heads of such legislation have been approved by Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[38490/06]
201 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the holiday visa granted to a person (details supplied) can be altered to enable them to travel to Ireland on 1 January 2007 rather than on 24 November 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38574/06]
196 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his Department received a request for funding on behalf of the Irish Missing Persons’ Helpline; if such funding was provided and the amount of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38546/06]
136 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will raise the problems of overfishing and the use of illegal nets and tackle by other EU fishing fleets in Irish waters as discussed by the Houses of the Oireachtas during the Fisheries Act 1980 discussions earlier in 2006 at the forthcoming EU sea fisheries negotiations under the Common Fisheries Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38840/06]
130 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on the Government’s approach to the annual EU sea fisheries negotiations under the Common Fisheries Policy and on his targets for the key quotas and TACs, the industry here may face in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38839/06]
81 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in relation to the application of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford for a one year multiple entry visa to enable their mother, a Ukraine national, to visit the family in Wexford without the necessity of applying for a new visa on each occasion; if he will consider this application favourably in view of the undertaking given by this applicant’s family members that visa terms will be fully respected and that their needs in this country will be provided for by the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38310/06]
54 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Defence the number of complaints received by the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces since the office was established by law in 2004; the various categories of complaint; the number of complaints processed to completion; the number of complaints outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38190/06]