229 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a restriction imposed by lack of funding on the number of people aged over 55 that FÁS can employ under the community employment schemes due to lack of funding from his Department; the amount of money made available to FÁS in 2006 by his Department to facilitate over 55’s employed under the community employment schemes; his plans to increase the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34837/06]
124 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions that have taken place between his Department and the Government of Ethiopia with regard to encouraging the Government of Sudan to agree to the deployment of a UN force in Darfur; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34416/06]
463 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the dispute between the former Greencore workers and Greencore regarding pension claims and entitlements; the action or intervention that he has taken of intends to take in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33898/06]
276 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of domestic violence incidents recorded by the Gardaí in 2004 and 2005 in each of the respective Garda regions and districts; the corresponding number of people arrested, charged, injured and committed as a result of domestic violence incidents in each of three regions and districts; the reason these figures have not been published in An Garda Síochána Annual Reports since 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34533/06]
112 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the way her Department anticipates future enrolment for primary schools; the actions her Department is currently taking with regard to same in the east Cork area; if she is confident that these primary schools are currently providing sufficient accommodation for pupils and will be able to cater for future demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[34236/06]
102 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 477 of 3 October 2006, when the current assessment began and when it will be completed; the person who is carrying out the assessment; if similar assessments are underway for other primary schools in the east Cork area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[34237/06]
319 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the changes she has made or intends to make regarding accepted qualifications of people providing home tuition hours through her Department's scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[33788/06]
318 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the recent proposed changes to the home tuition scheme operated through her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[33787/06]
274 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that recent increases in the State pension have led to non-contributory pensioners having their rent supplement reduced by the same amount; if he issued directions to community welfare officers regarding this practice prior to the introduction of the new State pension; if not, if he intends to take action on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33790/06]
273 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the practice whereby increases in pensions lead to subsequent decreases in the amount of rent supplement granted under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme; his views on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33789/06]
272 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to increase the pension rates payable to pre-1953 pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33786/06]
271 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cost of paying a full rate contributory pension to all pre-1953 pensioners; the cost of same if full payment were only paid to pre-1953 pensioners who are over 80; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33785/06]
270 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the breakdown of the age groups of pre-1953 pensioners by five year interval; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33784/06]
103 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the plans he has to deliver the benefits of EU competition and regulatory legislation in respect of gas and electricity to the consumer; if he will introduce or amend legislation to discourage the situation whereby energy prices through competition appear to be forced upwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33570/06]
61 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his policy in regard to micro-generation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33573/06]
254 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in relation to claims which are referred to local inspectors for investigation, he has set targets in relation to the length of time within which a file must be referred to the local inspector; if he has set same for the time within which a home visit must be completed by a local inspector once a file has been received; if he has set same regarding the length of time within which a local inspector must submit their findings to the original office from which the file was referred; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33511/06]
253 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the breakdown of the number of appeals currently awaiting decision for each of the various schemes operated by his Department respectively; the number of appeals which are to be decided by oral hearing; the average and longest time it takes to process an appeal for each scheme of his Department; if being granted an oral hearing extends the waiting time for an appeal to be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33510/06]
252 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications for family income supplement received each year respectively since 2003 and to date in 2006; the number of claims which were awarded and the number refused for each year; the percentage breakdown of same; the average amount paid out per claim in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33508/06]
251 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the backlog of claims for family income supplement still exists; if this backlog related solely to new claims or if there is a delay in processing renewal claims; the additional contact his Department has had with the people who await decision of their applications as a result of the delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33507/06]
250 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average amount of time in weeks taken to process family income supplement claims in 2004, 2005 and to date in 2006 respectively; the average amount of time it is currently taking his Department to process FIS claims; the longest amount of time it has taken to process a claim in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33506/06]
249 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications for family income supplement received to date in 2006; the number of claims which have been processed and are in payment; the number of claims awaiting payment; the length of time it is currently taking his Department to process outstanding claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33505/06]
248 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the backlog in processing family income supplement claims still exists; if so, the reason for same; when he expects the backlog to be cleared; the reason for delays in processing FIS claims; the action he is taking to address these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33504/06]
137 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 23 May 2006, the number of people who have indicated their desire to decentralise to Youghal in the Public Appointments Service and Valuation Office, respectively; if decentralisation is still on target for mid 2009; if negotiations regarding the identified site for offices have been completed; the investment needed to construct these offices and any other costs involved in the proposed decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33223/06]
560 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science if all buses used in the school transport scheme have been fitted with seatbelts; if not, when she expects this to be completed; the legislation governing same; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[33241/06]
505 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science further to the review being carried out into the home tuition grant scheme, the persons carrying out this review; when she expects the review to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32639/06]
504 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of home tuition grants applied for and approved and drawn each year since 2000 to date in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32638/06]
501 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the need to provide extra accommodation to a school (details supplied) in County Cork; her plans in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32629/06]
418 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when it is anticipated phase two of decentralisation is expected to commence in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim.
[32619/06]
303 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder in each of the respective Health Service Executive areas each year since and including 2000 and to date in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32640/06]
187 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the advice and information that she has given to farmers regarding the implementation of the Nitrates Directive on farms; her views on holding information meetings on the issue; her further plans in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32928/06]
186 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the proposals she has to support the modernisation of the dairy processing industry to help improve efficiency; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32929/06]
188 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has issued or intends to issue guidelines to local authorities as to what constitutes assessable income for local authority tenants; the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32547/06]
187 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to whether the practice exists in any local authorities to include the weekly fuel allowance as assessable means or income when calculating rent increases for local authority housing tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32546/06]
17 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Force members to be committed to the UN force in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32260/06]
189 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reasons for delays in processing carer’s allowance claims; the efforts his Department has made to address these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32412/06]
188 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average amount of time it takes to process a claim for carer’s allowance at present and for 2006, 2005 and 2004 respectively; the longest amount of time it has taken his Department to process a carer’s allowance claim in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32411/06]
187 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the backlog in processing claims for carer’s allowance still exists; the number of claims which are awaiting decision; when he expects these claims to be dealt with; the number of claims processed by his Department to date in 2006 and the numbers processed on 2005 and 2004 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32410/06]
99 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the take up of employer grants and schemes which support the employment of people with disabilities; the reasons for the low take up rates; if the total budget allocated to these services and schemes in 2005 was used in full; the way he will improve take-up rates of same and the number of people with disabilities in employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32087/06]
437 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the action he intends to take, in relation to the statement in the report by the International Organisation for Migration for the National Economic and Social Council of Ireland (details supplied) that highlights the lack of appropriate information and orientation for new arrivals here as to their rights and entitlements, on the website of his Department; if he will ensure that this matter is examined and rectified; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32139/06]
436 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a non-contributory State pensioner who earns €100 per week from insurable employment will still be entitled to the fuel allowance; if so, his views on applying a similar disregard for contributory pensioners who have additional income from occupational pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32138/06]
435 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the services that are available via the Public Service broker; the future structure and plans for the operation of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32136/06]
369 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the funding that has been made available to the respective local authorities to develop local area networks in order to provide broadband; the plans he has to make further funding available to further expand these networks; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31792/06]
362 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children further to the roll-out of the national cervical screening programme, the way in which the Health Service Executive intends to cater for additional demand for test results; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32114/06]
364 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children if she is satisfied with the current gynaecological cytology service for women in the Health Service Executive southern area; her views on the way in which services could be improved; the action she intends to take to improve the service, in particular in relation to test result waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32116/06]
363 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the targets in each Health Service Executive area regarding the length of time it takes to process smear test results; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32115/06]
361 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of locations in all the Health Service Executive regions which offer a gynaecological cytology service; if these services are public or private; the average waiting times for public and private test results respectively in each location; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32113/06]
360 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of locations in the Health Service Executive southern region which offer a gynaecological cytology service; if these services are public or private; the average waiting times for public and private test results respectively in each location; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32112/06]
359 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of smear tests and diagnostic samples respectively processed by the CUH gynaecological cytology service in 2004, 2005 and to date in 2006; the average amount processed per week in 2006; the number of tests awaiting results; the reason for the backlog, if one exists; the action which is being taken to speed up the results process; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32111/06]
358 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the average time it takes CUH gynaecological cytology service to process a smear test in 2006; the details of same for each year since the year 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32110/06]
357 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the policy implication that she has identified as a result of the publication of the report published in July 2006 by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (details supplied); the actions that she intends to take as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[32109/06]