212 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in relation to the construction of a new Garda headquarters in Wexford; when construction is expected to begin; when it is envisaged that this facility will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30471/06]
207 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his response to the three most recent reports from Mr. Justice Morris; the action he has taken or intends to take arising from the reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30830/06]
175 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his response to the report of the Barr Tribunal into the shooting dead of a person (details supplied); the action he has taken or intends to take arising from the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30604/06]
162 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Garda stations equipped for the video recording of interviews with suspects; the percentage of all stations this represents; the number of Garda stations with detention facilities that are so equipped; if there are plans to equip further Garda stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30607/06]
130 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his response to the most recent reports of the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention, Mr. Dermot Kinlen; the action being taken to address the serious shortcomings in conditions identified in the reports; if he has received the report of Mr. Michael Mellet into the death of a person (details supplied) on 1 August 2006; the main findings of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30829/06]
120 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Garda recording of changed car ownership is several months in arrears and that as a result fixed penalty fine notices are being issued by Gardaí to former rather than current car owners where ownership has changed and that former owners receiving such notices are required to complete a ceased to be owner form for the Garda on each occasion when a fixed penalty fine is issued; his views on whether out of date Garda records could impede proper identification of victims in the event of road accidents involving cars with changed ownership; the reason the Garda does not access the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s up to date records of car ownership changes pending improvement in their own records; if he will discuss this waste of Garda resources, and inconvenience to the public, with Garda authorities with a view to remedying the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30256/06]
119 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in view of the introduction of random breath testing of motorists, he will determine and provide details of Garda policy in relation to breath testing of drivers involved in road traffic accidents; if the policy is that all such drivers are to be breath tested at the accident scene; and, if not, the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30255/06]
118 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in relation to an application for visa under the family re-unification scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) who have resided here for many years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30254/06]
73 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport the reasons for his delay in extending whistleblowing legislation to all transport sectors here.
[30052/06]
68 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the low rate of prosecutions for dangerous driving and drink driving that result in a disqualification and the action he is taking to strengthen legislation to ensure a sufficient deterrent exists and that current legislation is robust enough for Gardaí to pursue cases with confidence.
[30051/06]
1309 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether second level students requiring home tuition for medical reasons are entitled to free education; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the ASTI rate for provision of home tuition is €43.19 per hour; if her Department’s hourly rate of payment for home tuition has been set at €27.12 per hour; the basis of such a rate; if her Department is aware of qualified teachers who will provide home tuition at her Department’s rate of pay; if she will make available a list of such teachers; if she will review her Department’s hourly rate if teachers cannot be recruited at below the ASTI rate for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[29037/06]
1233 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford, account will be taken of the fact that the person is a single parent who, prior to reaching age 23, had established a separate household from their parents and had lived independently for a number of years; if, in these circumstances, mature student status will be granted for the second and subsequent years of their third level course; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28398/06]
1137 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way the scheme under which personal alarms are provided for elderly persons is administered; if funding is allocated on an ongoing basis or only at specific times during the year; the average waiting period between receipt of applications and provision of funding; if the scheme could be improved in order to obviate the need for elderly persons to wait months or longer for installation of alarms; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28725/06]
206 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that pneumococcal meningitis has a fatality rate of about 20 per cent and that it is associated with a higher risk of permanent neurological damage such as deafness and epilepsy; that many countries around the world provide for the routine immunisation of babies against this disease, yet Ireland does not have a pneumococcal vaccination as part of the childhood immunisation schedule; the steps she intends to take to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[29525/06]
202 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health and Children the major hospital building projects that are in the planning pipeline; the stage that each has reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[29526/06]
388 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average waiting period for an oral hearing in the context of social welfare appeals; if he is satisfied that such waiting period affords an acceptable level of service to appellants; if he will take steps to ensure that appeals requiring oral hearing will be dealt with more expeditiously; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27590/06]
121 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will provide information on reports that the European Commission’s proposals on tackling roaming fees imposed on mobile phone users have been watered down; the measures the Government brought forward at the European level in this regard; if he is examining measures to reduce the high level of termination charges that Irish mobile users face; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26644/06]
117 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on the agreement on the new €4billion European Fisheries Fund; the level of funding the Irish fishing industry and coastal communities will receive under the EFF; the level of funding on an annual basis between 2007 and 2013; the amount which will be allocated to young fishermen, aquaculture, Leader-type initiatives in coastal communities and stock conservation measures under the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26626/06]
581 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will confirm that a visa application has been received in his office from a person (details supplied) under the family reunification scheme; and if so, when will a decision be made.
[26008/06]
98 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the maximum amount of funding available to an individual school under the summer works programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[25915/06]
35 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties encountered in schools in implementing the junior certificate science course for which 35% of marks are awarded for practical work, including 30 mandatory experiments, due to large classes, lack of classroom assistants and inadequate laboratory facilities in some schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[25914/06]
69 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if it proposed to send observers to the forthcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25244/06]
44 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress which has been made in achieving the objectives of NEPAD; and his views on the capital flight from heavily-indebted countries in Africa.
[25243/06]
58 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 in which this compares with the Government target of 10,300; if agreement has been reached with all public service unions regarding promotional opportunities for those who choose to move and those who opt to remain where they are; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24949/06]
46 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance his views on the prospect that first time buyers will be excluded from the housing market if interest rates increase as forecasted to 3.5 percent in 2007, causing first time mortgage limits to fall by up to €100,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24936/06]
433 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the date of receipt by his Department of an application for permission to remain in the State on the basis of marriage to an Irish national by a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; when it is expected that a decision will be made in relation to this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24341/06]
87 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on whether the disadvantaged areas scheme might be improved; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[24623/06]
38 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Defence the lands which were sold at Arbour Hill in 2006; the person to whom they were sold; the price obtained; the reason for the sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23735/06]
10 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Defence the mechanism under which battle groups will be established by the United Nations General Assembly or the United Nations Security Council so that Irish troops can be deployed as rapidly as the troops of other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23728/06]
156 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a company (details supplied) has been commissioned to conduct a review of training delivery by FÁS and the Health Service Executive sponsored bodies such as the National Learning Network; his views on the reason this review is considered necessary in view of the fact that three independent quality assurance reviews of this sector have been carried out over the past three years; the cost of the new review process; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24037/06]
117 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the high number of persons affected by collective redundancies in the first five months of 2006 relative to previous years; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that if such collective redundancies continue at the same rate for the remainder of 2006 they will exceed the number for 2001 when the dot-com bubble burst; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23487/06]
90 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he intends to make amendments to corporate law in order to widen the recognition of interests to which a company director must have regard in the discharge of their duties to include greater emphasis on employees of the company, its suppliers, its creditors, both present and future, its customers, the wider community, and the environment; his views on whether such amendments are necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23506/06]
112 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the success of the Family Mediation Service and the services provided by this service; if there are plans to extend these services in view of the large number of people it is currently working with; if new offices are to be opened in the short to medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22983/06]
70 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he expects the panel accredited to provide Irish language translation services for both the public and private sectors to be in place before Dáil Éireann rises for the summer 2006 recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22741/06]
278 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly within the carer’s respite grant where unpaid carers (details supplied) in County Wexford not in receipt of carers allowance are also not entitled to the respite grant.
[22702/06]
99 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he intends to take to curb the population of the grey squirrel, which is a threat to the native smaller red squirrel and to many songbirds; and his views on initiating a contraceptive programme for the grey squirrel as has been done in other countries.
[22488/06]
91 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he intends to take to halt the decline in Ireland’s biodiversity by the 2010 target date; and if he intends to initiate new approaches to environmental management.
[22489/06]
64 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals for a new Garda disciplinary code in view of the serious concerns expressed by Mr. Justice Morris in regard to the deterioration of discipline and good order that he found in regard to the Gardaí in Donegal; when it is expected that the code will be published; when it will be in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22116/06]
5 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the figures contained in the recent Garda report for 2005 which shows a further increase in the number of headline offences; his further views on whether taken together with the provisional figures for the first quarter of 2006, the report shows a worrying deterioration in crime; the action he intends to take arising from the increase in the number of serious crimes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22154/06]
2 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he intends to take to improve communications between his Department and the offices of the Attorney General and Chief State Solicitor, particularly in regard to legal cases that may have implications for legislation introduced or operated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22153/06]
336 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a decision will be made for a residency permit to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 16.
[21761/06]
312 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if an adequate compensation package is available to sugar beet farmers forced out of beet production; the measures she has taken to provide for farmers affected; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21788/06]
114 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport the input his Department has into the improvement of Garda road collision report data; if better information will be collected on foreign drivers, left-hand drive vehicles, novice drivers and so on; and the reason there is no continuous data available on the number of provisional drivers involved in collisions when such information is collected by Gardaí.
[21988/06]
149 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport his views on the need for another airport in Leinster to act as a counter-balance in terms of environmental concerns, traffic, competition and so on to Dublin Airport.
[21989/06]
195 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will confirm that a school (details supplied) in County Wexford has an enrolment quota of 270 pupils for 2006; if, in the event that this quota is not fully taken up by applicants from the school’s catchment area, the school will be permitted to enrol, up to the quota limit, applicants who reside outside the catchment area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21367/06]
175 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in relation to the visa application in respect of a person (details supplied) which is the subject of a review by his Department under the scheme of family reunification, he will ensure that a review decision is made.
[21368/06]
137 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in relation to a work permit application for a person (details supplied), account was taken by his Department of the fact that, despite exhaustive efforts including repeated and prolonged advertising and assistance from FÁS, it has proved impossible to recruit a suitably qualified Irish, EEA national or non-EEA national already legally resident here for the position in question; if, in these circumstances, he will review this work permit application; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21369/06]
49 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that pneumococcal meningitis has a fatality rate of approximately 20 per cent and that it is associated with a higher risk of permanent neurological damage such as deafness and epilepsy; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that many countries around the world provide for the routine immunisation of babies against this disease yet Ireland does not have a pneumococcal vaccination as part of the childhood immunisation schedule; the steps she intends to take to address same; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21321/06]
17 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the major hospital building projects which are in the planning pipeline; the stage each has reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21322/06]
126 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners in each prison in each year since 2000 who have been directed by the court to undergo anger management therapy, who have been offered anger management therapy and have availed of such treatment; the number of prisons in which such therapy is available; if anger management therapy was made available to a prisoner (details supplied) as recommended by the court; and if they availed of those services.
[21351/06]