102 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding consultations which have taken place with respect to changes to the gambling legislation; if he will bring forward legislative proposals in this regard; if he has had discussions with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21954/08]
88 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average time required for processing a fresh claim for unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21542/08]
80 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if being in receipt of invalidity pension is a disqualification when applying for a community employment scheme; when this change was introduced and for what purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21567/08]
53 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position of the national broadband scheme; if the NBS will include areas that to date can only access expensive and slow broadband with no competition in the same area as well as areas that have no access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21373/08]
25 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to ensure that as many Government services as possible operate through the post office network; the types of services that will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21390/08]
326 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Defence if members of the Reserve Defence Force will be covered under the non-statutory personal injuries compensation scheme for members of the RDF if they sustain an injury whilst training on their own time to achieve and maintain a level of fitness to pass the Permanent Defence Force fitness tests; if the members of the Reserve Defence Force will be granted use of training facilities and access to PDF PTIs; if not if the Defence forces will pay for gym subscription as the territorial army in Britain do, to help them achieve the fitness levels they want them to pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21213/08]
325 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Defence if serving members of the Reserve Defence Forces are excluded from all national and EU legislation governing employment rights when undergoing full-time paid training for periods exceeding 21 consecutive days, when undergoing full-time paid training for periods not exceeding 21 consecutive days and when undergoing unpaid training; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21212/08]
182 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the judgment of the Supreme Court given on 1 May 2008 rejecting an attempt by him to uphold deportation orders against the parents of two children born here before 1 January 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21089/08]
152 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action he has taken or plans to take arising from the report of the Hartnett inquiry into the death of a person (details supplied) who died in Garda custody in Clonmel in 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21088/08]
483 Deputy Ciaran Lynch asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a licence is required and the cost of same in order to fish for rainbow trout in inland fishery lakes operated by regional authorities; if there has been a recent increase in fees; if concessions are available to the elderly, the young or the unwaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20666/08]
405 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there is regulation in regard to the sale of plastic pellet guns; if no regulation exists, if he will introduce controls; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20667/08]
403 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the mechanism in place to facilitate a person seeking Garda clearance which also involves clearance from UK police; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20654/08]
320 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if it is her intention to facilitate the provision of social welfare payments through credit union accounts; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[20655/08]
154 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Taoiseach the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to pursue the issue of reform of Oireachtas sitting times, Oireachtas procedures and strengthening the role of Committees.
[20322/08]
153 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Taoiseach the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to reconsider the recommendations of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Constitution regarding Dáil reform.
[20321/08]
441 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for the delay in establishing the housing aid for older people scheme with local authorities and the delay in transferring the housing aid for the elderly scheme from the Health Service Executive to the local authorities; if his attention has been drawn to the confusion and upset which this causes applicants; when the plan will be fully implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20665/08]
136 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will implement controls on candidate expenditure in the forthcoming local elections.
[20782/08]
117 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will implement the recommendations contained in the report by the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on the future of the electoral register in Ireland published in April 2008; and when will he introduce the required legislation.
[20771/08]
463 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if plans are underway at his Department to draft and deliver an implementation plan which would set out the way the targets in the forthcoming National Homeless Strategy will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21041/08]
89 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce electronic voting or electronic counting in time for the forthcoming local elections or if he will continue with the paper-based system; the costs to date of the development, roll-out and promotion of the electronic voting system; and the cost to date of storage and other costs.
[20942/08]
271 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the commitment in the programme for Government to consider legislation to regulate lobbyists.
[20332/08]
270 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the commitment in the programme for Government to ensure there is an acceptable buffer period before civil servants or local government officials can take up employment in related areas of the private sector.
[20331/08]
269 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the commitment in the programme for Government to ensure the fire services operate to best international standards with a new community focus on fire prevention.
[20330/08]
268 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the commitment in the programme for Government to ensure that the library service responds to changing public demand for services as a result of the revolution in communications technology.
[20329/08]
266 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the commitment in the programme for Government to build on the experience gained from the service indicators initiative by putting in place more challenging indicators for the years ahead, including additional indicators on environmental performance and water quality.
[20327/08]
265 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the commitment in the programme for Government to ensure that local authority spending is overseen by powerful audit committees much like the Committee of Public Accounts of Dáil Éireann, with power to summon witnesses and call local authorities to account.
[20326/08]
264 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to modernise the financial and budgetary processes of local authorities in order that councillors and the public can readily grasp the options open to the local authority when it comes to spending and revenue raising priorities.
[20325/08]
263 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to ensure that advice given in pre-planning discussions is consistent and does not get overturned every time there is a change in planning staff.
[20324/08]
267 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to review the operation of local government legislation to ensure that the decision making processes in local authorities are rebalanced in favour of the democratically elected representatives of the people.
[20328/08]
262 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to reform local government making it more transparent and more responsive to its customers.
[20323/08]
261 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to determine the extent of cross-party agreement on the recommendations of the report on Seanad reform to advance proposals for implementation.
[20320/08]
260 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to establish an independent electoral commission to take responsibility for electoral administration and oversight.
[20319/08]
43 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Defence the additions to the Air Corps fleet scheduled for 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20158/08]
22 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Defence the number recruited into the Reserve Defence Force since 1 January 2008; the number who have retired in that time; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20159/08]
132 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in the DCD unit at St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork, most occupational therapy intervention will be offered in group settings which will not benefit those children who need one-to-one therapy or those with sensory integration difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[20018/08]
131 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the practice whereby children on the waiting list in the DCD unit at St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork are given priority if they are in a position to privately obtain psychological and occupational therapy assessments; her views on whether this practice is unfair to children who have waited up to two years for assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[20017/08]
103 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the submission made by the Joint Committee on Education and Science on behalf of a number of primary management bodies on 10 April 2008; his views on whether there is a financial crisis in a significant number of primary schools who cannot pay for their day to day running costs from the capitation grant and who need to borrow funds from religious congregations or the local parish; if he will introduce a supplementary Estimate to deal with this financial crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19714/08]
591 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to introduce a national attic and wall insulation grant scheme to the value of €100 million.
[19386/08]
584 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans in place or the contingency funds being made available to local authorities in view of the fact that development levies are in sharp decline; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19758/08]
583 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the procedures available under the housing Acts to facilitate the transfer of tenants from one local authority to another; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19757/08]
582 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when it is intended to implement the new energy rating provisions for houses; if the provisions will apply equally to local authority housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19756/08]
567 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to ensure that noise insulation levels protect the quality of life of home owners.
[19388/08]
566 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to maximise water efficiency and the re-use of rainwater for non-drinking purposes.
[19387/08]
565 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to include in local area plans, adequate provision for green areas, play spaces and community space.
[19385/08]
564 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to require all new apartments and other high density developments to comply with minimum design standards dealing with space, light, noise protection, recycling facilities and recreational facilities.
[19384/08]
563 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to introduce new urban design guidelines for building new housing developments in order that future generations can look back with pride on the environment which we are building today.
[19383/08]
562 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to clearly set out the duties of local authorities in relation to the provision of services for all residential developments.
[19382/08]
561 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to expand the paths to home ownership to assist the maximum number of people in gaining a stake in their own home.
[19380/08]
560 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to put in place an appropriate tax incentive scheme to operate in areas in association with the affordable homes partnership.
[19379/08]
559 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to introduce new incentives for the provision of affordable housing.
[19378/08]