508 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on introducing legislation to allow local authorities or the Private Residential Tenancies Board to conduct unannounced spot inspections for health and safety and fire prevention reasons of accommodation in the private rental sector.
[17393/06]
507 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to provide funding for a new drinking water reservoir on land (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17360/06]
505 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has commissioned or received a report or briefing documents in regard to water supply and consumption in the Greater Dublin Area; his views on the growth of consumption in recent years; his plans to modify the building regulations to place greater emphasis on water conservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17358/06]
493 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the fact that he has recently suggested there were financial reasons for not adopting a reverse vending approach to collecting certain recyclable material (details supplied), a full environmental and financial comparison between reverse vending recycling facilities and those facilities currently used to collect recyclable material has been carried out here; the body which carried out the research; and their terms of reference.
[17092/06]
506 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will put in place regulations to ensure that mobile phone antennae are not placed in close proximity to schools and other educational establishments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17359/06]
479 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether the regulations on siting of telephone masts do not prohibit masts being placed in close proximity to schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17355/06]
451 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if she or her Department officials have made representations to other Government Departments or statutory agencies on the siting of telephone masts in close proximity to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[17355/06]
310 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons from abroad who are in receipt of a visa allowing them to undertake voluntary work for charities or other organisations here; the number of these who have been here for between one and five years or longer; his views on granting residency to persons who have been working in the voluntary sector here for a period of three years or more; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16862/06]
224 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance if works ceased on the erection of a mobile phone mast at Shankill Garda Station will not resume until the regulations governing the siting of mobile phone masts has been reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17356/06]
203 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance his views on directing the commissioners of the Office of Public Works to allow Dublin commuter buses through the Phoenix Park; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17391/06]
202 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance his proposals to reduce the rate of VAT on repair and maintenance work on private dwellings which are protected structures in view of the EU Council of Minister’s decision to ratify the extension of the sixth VAT Directive, which allows Member States to apply reduced VAT rates to labour-intensive services such as works to existing buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17390/06]
139 Mr. Cuffe asked the Taoiseach the population of each of the four Dublin counties at the year end for each of the past ten years for which figures are available.
[17357/06]
106 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Defence the way in which the Defence Act 1960 needs to be amended in order that its wording more closely reflects current practice in the formulation of UN Security Council resolution endorsing peace support operations; the implications for Irish defence policy of such a change; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17180/06]
90 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Defence the legislative changes which are necessary in order to remove the voluntary nature of Defence Force personnel being deployed abroad in humanitarian operations in response to natural and man-made disasters; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17181/06]
105 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the way in which retailers have been prosecuted for failing to charge for the plastic bag levy in each of the years since the levy’s introduction in 2002.
[16641/06]
42 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the rise in the number of plastic bags being used here over the past two years; and if he will consider increasing the levy.
[16640/06]
137 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Transport the changes he intends to make to the Transport 21 plan in view of the Forfás report on oil dependence here; the long term predictions on traffic volumes which underpinned that plan; and the assumed oil price within the transport models that were used in that regard.
[16279/06]
119 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Transport if the bus driver involved in the fatal crash in County Offaly in April 2006 was driving on a provisional licence; if his Department has been provided with evidence of insurance of the vehicle; if he has satisfied himself that appropriate checking and enforcement measures are in place to regulate commercial bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16280/06]
65 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the way in which he intends to ensure continuous improvement in operational standards on the part of the financial institutions and the cash-in-transit security companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15687/06]
12 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on imposing a mandatory code of practice for cash-in-transit security companies to replace the voluntary code of practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15688/06]
124 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether a proper primary care service could help to deal with the crisis in accident and emergency services; the progress made to date in implementing a primary care strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[15400/06]
66 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the length of time she anticipates the accident and emergency crisis will continue; her views on whether one of the main causes is a lack of bed capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[15401/06]
970 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects the proposed special areas of conservation, the majority of which were agreed between the Government and the European Commission in December 2004, to be fully established as special areas of conservation under the habitats directive.
[14659/06]
39 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the correspondence he has received from the European Commission on the failure of Ireland to fully unbundle electricity generation, supply and transmission system here; the action the Commission is proposing in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13744/06]
85 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the meetings his Department officials have had with representatives from Babcock & Brown investment group with regard to the future of Eircom; and the content of such discussions that took place.
[13745/06]
148 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Education and Science further to this Deputy’s recent written question in relation to schools in Wicklow, if she will carry out a survey on the impact of water charges on schools.
[13444/06]
132 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if there are plans to integrate the green schools programme into the whole school evaluation process; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13445/06]
117 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether Ireland’s proposed participation in the EU battle groups will require Ireland’s triple lock requirement to be compromised; the way in which the requirement for rapid deployment of battle groups can be reconciled with Ireland’s need for a UN mandate before Irish troops are sent abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13095/06]
75 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to a recent EU report from the Jerusalem and Ramallah heads of mission regarding East Jerusalem; his views on the decision not to publish the report; if the EU plans to act on any part of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13094/06]
64 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the jump in the annual rate of inflation to 3.3%, a level last seen in June 2003, according to the consumer price index.
[12409/06]
62 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance the measures his Department will take to prevent further abuses of public private partnership arrangements in view of the recent High Court decision terminating the National Aquatic Centre lease due to non-payment of rent and VAT by its operators.
[12408/06]
274 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his reason for recently referring statutes governing animal welfare, that is, the Protection of Animals Acts 1911 and 1965, including proposals for amendments, to the Minister for Agriculture and Food when his Department advised that the recommendations of the working group on the management of dog breeding establishments can be legally implemented through amendments of the current Control of Dogs Act.
[12330/06]
96 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the role her Department has in assisting farmers to comply with terms of the nitrates directive.
[12175/06]
37 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a report will be issued by her Department on the case of animal health problems such as high mortality, stunted growth and low milk production on the farm of a person ( details supplied ) in County Kilkenny; and if she will give this matter every priority and assistance in view of the huge financial loss being suffered primarily by the person concerned.
[12176/06]
526 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason he extended the hare hunting season by granting a licence to the Irish Masters of Beagles Association, which allowed 20 hunts to chase and kill hares in counties Clare, Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow, throughout the month of March.
[11557/06]
111 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the deliberations of the interdepartmental working group on emergency planning and the task force on emergency planning regarding the threat of avian flu.
[11804/06]
119 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on his recent visit to Liberia; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11803/06]
75 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has had communication with the Department of Finance regarding the upward revision in line with European standards of compliance targets for the recruitment and employment of people with disabilities across Departments, which by default currently stands at just 3%.
[11378/06]
97 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he plans to open up the Irish travel system to all UK pensioners in view of his intended expansion of the free travel scheme for pensioners north and south of the Border.
[11035/06]
86 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding negotiations between his Department and the British Government to enable Irish pensioners living in Britain to participate in the Irish free travel scheme when they return home on holidays.
[11036/06]
113 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will report on his official visit to New Zealand for St. Patrick’s Day festivities; the length of his visit; the events attended; and the number of officials and others accompanying him and the estimated cost.
[10783/06]
90 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his Department will process the information regarding voluntary activity that will come from the census 2006 data; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10782/06]
26 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he intends to take to remedy the escalating stand-off between him and the Garda Representative Association, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in relation to the planned Garda Síochána Reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9787/06]
96 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the connection made in the Indecon report between local authority accountability and locally raised funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9525/06]
64 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to address the predicted local authority funding shortfall identified by the Indecon report.
[9524/06]
597 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the research conducted on the costs and expected future costs of a flood defence works for the draft guidelines for planning authorities on the preparation of development plans to be published shortly on dealing with risk from flooding (details supplied).
[9541/06]
596 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement concerning reports that the EU Commission is threatening legal proceedings against the Government for failing to comply with environmental directives regarding the forestry programme.
[9540/06]
593 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation allowing for directly elected mayors for local authorities and town councils.
[9537/06]
595 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the research commissioned or carried out by his Department into replacing or supplementing the system of commercial rates.
[9539/06]
594 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the research commissioned or carried out by his Department into the use of site or land value tax.
[9538/06]