99 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the Government is intending to privatise Bord Gáis Éireann or Bord na Móna; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13621/06]
93 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if measures to incorporate the regulation of premium rate telephone services under the direction of the communications regulator, ComReg, will be brought forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13622/06]
198 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if an application for redundancy rebate has been received in his Department in respect of former Irish Ferries workers; the policy of the Government in respect of this matter; if he intends to legally resist such State subsidy for worker displacement; the implications any decision might have for employment generally; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13594/06]
174 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will introduce a hearing screening programme for all newborn babies in accordance with the accepted standard of care in all developed countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13672/06]
73 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the system which is in place to track the approximately 1,000 children who do not transfer from primary to post-primary school each year; the way in which she proposes to address the needs of these children; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13502/06]
48 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science her response to the survey of 2002-03 school leavers carried out by the ESRI which indicated that the percentage of those who left without qualifications and were jobless a year later has increased by 13% in two years and that the overall percentage of those who were jobless after a year increased from 11% in 1999 to 21% in 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13476/06]
467 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science when her Department expects to be in a position to make a decision in regard to the redundancy entitlement of a special needs assistant (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[12856/06]
315 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new registered employment agreements which have been put in place during the past twelve months; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13220/06]
313 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the implications for Ireland of the European Court of Justice’s ruling in a case (details supplied); if the transposition legislation for the collective redundancies Directive 98/59/EC is correct; if he proposes to amend the Protection of Employment Act 1977; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13159/06]
7 Mr. Howlin asked the Taoiseach the position regarding his discussions with the trade union movement, in the context of the social partnership negotiations, on concerns they have expressed regarding the need for additional measures to protect working standards and conditions of all workers against the background of the considerable inflow of workers from abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11258/06]
72 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance if, in regard to the allocation in the revised Book of Estimates, providing for an increase of more than 8,800 in public service numbers, the areas to which these staff will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12379/06]
67 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance the steps he plans to take to close the loophole which allows some property developers to avoid stamp duty by developing land under licence from the original owner; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12378/06]
223 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the status of an application (details supplied) for compensation under the second round of the fisheries decommissioning scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11553/06]
221 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance if a site has been acquired for the new Garda divisional headquarters for Wexford and Wicklow division; the amount paid for the site; when work will commence on this station; when it is expected that the new headquarters will be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12245/06]
64 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Defence if a decision has been taken at European level concerning the composition of an EU peacekeeping mission to safeguard upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo; if a decision has been taken on which country will take the lead role in this mission; the Government’s view on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11773/06]
195 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has received correspondence from a school (details supplied) in County Wexford in regard to the appointment of a fourth classroom teacher under the developing school criteria; if she will respond positively in view of the circumstances outlined; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[11471/06]
11 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the investigation which is planned into the disclosure that Polish workers employed by a contractor at the ESB power station in Moneypoint were being paid well below the national minimum wage; the sanctions or penalties available against companies in such situations; the measures which have been taken by his Department to date to ensure full compliance with all labour standards by all contractors, especially those working for State companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11257/06]
80 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department’s investigation into the circumstances in which a number of civil servants are reported to have accessed the personal welfare records of a person (details supplied) has been completed; if action has been taken on foot of the investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11008/06]
71 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the situation with regard to his proposals for the reform of the one-parent family payment system, particularly with a view to making it easier for lone parents to enter or re-enter the workforce; when he intends to bring forward formal proposals in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11009/06]
674 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of the application of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford for residency here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10727/06]
392 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions which have been taken to support the Kennedy-McCain initiative or other measures towards regularising the position of undocumented Irish immigrants in the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10565/06]
349 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if drift netting licence holders will be compensated in the event that drift netting is to be discontinued; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10021/06]
78 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he is proposing to introduce a system whereby farmers are compensated for allowing hill walkers to cross their land; if he has received representations from farmers or farming organisations on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10796/06]
72 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress that has been made to date in regard to the implementation of the future vision and policy agenda contained in Ensure the Future — A Strategy for Rural Development in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10811/06]
29 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people employed in the secret service section; the location of the section; the type of work carried out by the section; the annual budget for the section in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9681/06]
89 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he intends to take to tackle the problem of unauthorised waste collection and fly-tipping which according to the Environmental Protection Agency annual report is a problem for over 50 local authorities nationwide.
[9581/06]
15 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to initiate a campaign to promote and encourage parents of babies and small children to use alternatives to disposable nappies, such as nappy laundering services, biodegradable or compostable nappies; and his views on including schemes to make such alternatives accessible and cost-effective, in addition to communication campaigns in such an initiative.
[9580/06]
138 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport his response to the suggestion that a confidential reporting system for pilots be introduced here to facilitate the reporting of unsafe practices by airlines; his intention to facilitate this by the introduction of whistleblower legislation in the transport sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9194/06]
111 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Transport the changes in law he intends making in respect of mandatory retesting for drivers convicted under a drink-driving offence; the way in which and when he proposes to legislate for same; the drink-driving offences to which the proposal will apply; the other road traffic offences to which the proposal will apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9193/06]
164 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the decision to refuse work permits to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be reviewed as two separate advertisements with FÁS callnet service failed to elicit any applications for the vacant positions; the alternative efforts this employer is required to make in order to fulfil the conditions for obtaining work permits for non-EU nationals; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8625/06]
105 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the report on sudden cardiac deaths will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8543/06]
89 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of patients waiting for elective procedures by hospital at over three months, over six months, and over 12 months at the latest date for which figures are available; the equivalent data in respect of children; the data available on the waiting times for public patients to see a specialist; when the report on neurological services will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8544/06]
52 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the information available to his Department in regard to the number of management or senior staff in Bord na gCon who have had their positions terminated in the course of the past five years and in respect of whom financial settlements were made; the amount paid in respect of such settlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8184/06]
420 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if funding has been allocated to build a new Garda divisional headquarters in Wexford Town in 2006 for the Wexford -Wicklow Garda division; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8061/06]
283 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action the Government is taking to support the Pan-African Parliament; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8108/06]
242 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance if a site has been acquired for a new Garda divisional headquarters in Wexford town for the Wexford-Wicklow Garda division; when it is expected construction work will commence on this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8060/06]
138 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance the discussions he has had with other Departments or State agencies which are concerned at the potential loss of expertise and corporate knowledge as a result of the Government’s decentralisation programme; the steps being taken to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7872/06]
62 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Finance his views on the recent increase in the consumer price index; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7856/06]
52 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide further details of preparations being made in advance of the military parade in Dublin on Easter Sunday to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising; if the inaugural meeting of the planning group involving representatives of the Houses of the Oireachtas has taken place; the agenda for its consultations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7175/06]
164 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures he proposes to take to secure such an adequate, transparent public inquiry as would meet the requirements of international law, from the Government of the United Kingdom in relation to the murder of Pat Finucane.
[7008/06]
109 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he or officials of his Department will be appearing before the ongoing European parliamentary committee investigation into the operation of secret prisons and the practice of extraordinary rendition by the United States in Europe; and if so, if they will be expanding on the reasons for their acceptance of a diplomatic assurance in the area of fundamental guarantees in human rights as established in international law.
[7006/06]
597 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science when her Department will sanction the building of new school premises for a school (details supplied) in County Wexford on the site purchased in April 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6404/06]
143 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if, in view of the recent achievement of 100% availability of broadband in Northern Ireland the measures he is bringing forward to achieve the same level of availability in the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6723/06]
84 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if, in view of the reported bid by Bord na Móna to purchase EON’s Edenderry power plant the company is being transformed from a peat harvesting and production company to a broader based energy operation with renewable energy and waste management interests; if so, the implications for Bord na Móna’s long-term commercial status; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6715/06]
283 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has received an application from Wexford Borough Council for funding in respect of a refurbishment of flats (details supplied) in County Wexford; when this programme of improvements will be sanctioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6226/06]
219 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, further to Question No. 302 of 15 December 2005, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that correspondence including a copy of the appeal letter to the visa appeals officer, which was forwarded to him by this Deputy on 2 December 2005, was acknowledged on 5 December 2005; if, in view of same, the reason his reply stated that an appeal against the decision to refuse this visa application has not been received in his Department; if he will review this case as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6117/06]
36 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on prevailing upon Greencore to convert its sugar beet processing facility into a bio-ethanol fuel from sugar beet factory; her further views on using the 2006 sugar beet crop for the production of bio-ethanol; the steps she is prepared to take to see that this occurs; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5934/06]
96 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if a review of catchment boundaries for school transport will be carried out in view of the huge demographic changes that have occurred since the boundaries were originally drafted and the confusion caused by some of the maps used to determine eligibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5732/06]
78 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if a timeframe for the implementation of the McIver report will be drawn up; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5733/06]
633 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to maintain the national routes and motorway free of litter; if he has raised this matter with the National Roads Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5407/06]