178 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Transport the way in which his Department intends to meet its obligations as of 1 January 2006 under EU directive to open rail freight markets to competition; and if any private interest in the rail freight industry has been received.
[3303/06]
139 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she has taken to date in 2006 to deal with the possibility of an outbreak of bird flu, or worse, a flu pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3089/06]
21 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the proportion of applications received under the sports capital programme that were related to schools and colleges at primary, second, third and further education levels.
[2486/06]
11 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of applications which were received under the sports capital programme up to the deadline in January 2006; the number of applications received from Brittas, Clondalkin, Lucan, Newcastle, Palmerstown, Rathcoole and Saggart; the way in which the number of applications in each category compare with the previous five years; the funding available for 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2485/06]
193 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he expects the separation of the transmission grid operations from the ESB to occur; if legislative changes would be required to transfer the actual ownership of the transmission grid assets to Eirgrid; and if his Department has considered such a move.
[2185/06]
228 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the way in which he intends providing the €20 million in excise relief measures for biofuels as announced in budget 2006.
[2186/06]
437 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the directive name, directive reference number and number of cases where Ireland has been formally cautioned under Article 226 of the treaty of the European Community, issued a reasoned opinion under Article 226 of the treaty of the European Community, the Commission has declared its intention to go the European Court of Justice, taken to the European Court of Justice by the Commission, formally cautioned under Article 228 of the treaty of the European Community, issued a reasoned opinion under Article 228 and issued with daily fines by the European Court of Justice in regard to environmental protection.
[39709/05]
107 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason the National Educational Welfare Board has not received the funding it requires to fully carry out its statutory duties.
[39582/05]
40 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding plans to provide a suitable replacement site for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[39583/05]
291 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he will introduce section 17 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2000, dealing with the identification of the supplier of alcohol for consumption off premises; and when he intends to introduce a measure that will mean effective action can be taken against those who continue the practice of selling alcohol to persons under the age of 18.
[39499/05]
290 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the general instability, state of war and human rights abuses in Afghanistan; if examinations will be made regarding the applications for leave to remain by Afghani citizens living here; and if he will provide a breakdown of the number of Afghani citizens seeking leave to remain in the State and the number of applications made, and granted by the State in previous years.
[39498/05]
233 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is satisfied with the Health and Safety Authority’s response to the fatal car accident that took place on the N59 at Murrivagh, County Mayo, on 22 December 2004 (details supplied).
[39492/05]
200 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he intends raising, or has raised the plight of those born and raised in Estonia but of Russian ethnic origin who by virtue of their lack of fluency in Estonian are unable to avail of passports allowing them travel and work within the European Economic Area.
[39500/05]
97 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his most recent diplomatic contacts with other EU states regarding possible Irish involvement in EU battlegroups; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39309/05]
54 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his initiative, announced at the Royal Irish Academy on 18 November 2005, to establish two organisations to assist the developing world; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39310/05]
480 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has satisfied himself with Kilkenny County Council’s and the Environmental Protection Agency’s handling of the waste water treatment plant, details supplied, in County Kilkenny; and his views on whether no expansion of the facility should occur until the environmental concerns relating to the facility have been satisfactorily addressed.
[38873/05]
135 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance the way in which his Department calculates the costs and benefits of tax expenditures; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38904/05]
114 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance his plans to undertake a comprehensive review of tax residency rules on the basis of the report that is to be supplied to him by the Revenue Commissioners, should that report indicate that there is serious abuse of Ireland’s current tax residency rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38905/05]
62 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many of the clothes worn today are made from genetically modified cotton, that cheese is made using genetically modified rennet, and that other substances, such as riboflavin, are genetically modified.
[38449/05]
40 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason she intends to compensate Greencore for the decline in the sugar beet industry here, at the expense of farmers whose livelihoods depended on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[38450/05]
98 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Defence his views on the meeting in Brussels of the European Defence Agency on 21 November 2005; the voluntary code of conduct for defence procurement agreed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38201/05]
95 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on his attendance at the military display by the Army Ranger Wing at the Curragh on 16 November 2005, marking the 25th Anniversary of the Army Ranger Wing; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38202/05]
132 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason so many disabled persons do not take part in ordinary FÁS courses in view of the initial decision to mainline the training of disabled persons, especially when statistical evidence reveals that participants of segregated courses are at a disadvantage in the labour market.
[37925/05]
247 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if she will intervene to stop the Ward Union deer hunt on the grounds that it breaches the Protection of Animals Act.
[37478/05]
93 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the recent report on the social welfare appeals system commissioned by the Northside Community Law Centre; and if he intends to tackle the barriers faced by persons making appeals as identified in the report.
[37124/05]
50 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if an independent social welfare appeals office that is separate to the Department of Social and Family Affairs will be established.
[37123/05]
98 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the percentage of the increased expenditure announced in the Estimates 2006 for the national rural development scheme which will be spent on the national countryside recreation strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36766/05]
63 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when he expects the new national rural development scheme to be approved and implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36765/05]
537 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of dwellings, serviced sites and financial contributions for housing that have been provided to local authorities under Part V of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act 2000 in each year since it was enacted.
[36898/05]
536 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of affordable homes which have been provided by local authorities in each of the past five years.
[36897/05]
535 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of mortgages for dwellings under the shared ownership scheme which have been acquired by local authorities in each of the past five years.
[36896/05]
534 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of private dwellings which have been built in each of the past five years.
[36895/05]
533 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of dwellings which have been provided by voluntary housing bodies in each of the past five years.
[36894/05]
532 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of dwellings which have been built by local authorities for local authority tenant use in each of the past five years.
[36893/05]
531 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of dwellings which have been purchased by local authorities for housing purposes in each of the past five years.
[36892/05]
530 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of local authority dwellings which have been purchased by tenants in each of the past five years.
[36891/05]
529 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has read the UK feasibility study (details supplied) on heating public buildings with biomass; and if he will consider commissioning a similar feasibility report.
[36890/05]
528 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for his licensing of the Ward Union deer hunt in view of an apparent recommendation by a senior National Parks and Wildlife Service official that the hunt should not be licensed.
[36885/05]
114 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has satisfied himself with the progress in dealing with the 91 actions listed under Ireland’s national biodiversity plan, published in 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36672/05]
502 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that the practice of local authorities is that in their environment impact assessments of transport and other major projects that contributions to climate change of comparative project options are included; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36760/05]
48 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is in receipt of correspondence asserting that a local authority (details supplied) in County Wicklow entered into a contractual obligation with an individual or private company to allow the dumping of waste arising from a roads contract of that authority at a site; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36671/05]
5 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that manufacturers or distributors are making an adequate financial contribution to the recycling of consumer packaging, in view of the fact that domestic waste charges continue to rise.
[36759/05]
180 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has examined the difficulties facing aged-out non-Irish minors who have applied for leave to remain here; his plans to address the cases of the relatively small number of persons in these circumstances who wish to continue making a contribution to Irish society; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35980/05]
105 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amendments he intends to introduce to the Criminal Justice Bill to reflect one of the key recommendations in the Ferns Report which would provide for a law on reckless endangerment as is in existence in the state of Massachusetts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35758/05]
52 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he is satisfied that the Garda vetting unit is adequately resourced to deal with all requests from organisations seeking vetting services, in view of the recent revelations in the Ferns Report; the way in which the vetting unit will prioritise requests received; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35803/05]
192 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason, in answering a previous parliamentary question on consultants appointed by her Department, no reference was made to the consultants for the Lorenzo computer programme or is it the case that all work by consultants has been completed on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[35449/05]
120 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the cost to date of the Lorenzo system; the amount consultants have been paid to introduce this system to date; if consultants have been retained to work on this system; when it is expected to be in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[35438/05]