157 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on whether the practice whereby the additional income from a statutory contributory pension of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 who is in receipt of a full contributory pension from his Department, is assessed and counted as income to deny the payment of fuel allowance and then is also assessed as means and so used to reduce his spouse’s non-contributory pension (details supplied) is equitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6291/06]
154 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, further to Question No. 129 of 9 February 2006, the conditions under which recipients of the one parent family payment are entitled to retain certain social welfare payments and other secondary benefits in total or in part while they are participating in community employment schemes; the payments and benefits which can be retained; the community employment schemes to which this rule applies; if this rule also applies to community education initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6239/06]
137 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Finance the supports and initiatives in place to encourage the development and use of biodiesel and ethanol as additives or replacements for diesel and petrol; the cost since such initiatives were introduced; if such initiatives extend to imported vegetable oils; his plans to develop and support such substitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6264/06]
128 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Finance further to the new non-contributory pension for the over 66 year olds which is due to be introduced in September 2006 and the €100 earnings disregard, if he intends to allow persons who are in receipt of contributory pensions a similar earnings disregard if they take up or continue work, before their pensions are subject to taxation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6294/06]
41 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food, further to the publication of the final EU legal texts of the sugar reform proposals, with regard to the distribution of the compensation package, the steps she intends to take to ensure that all parties who will be affected by the reform of the industry are given an opportunity to put forward their case on the way in which the package will be distributed; the position with regard to the restructuring levy; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6023/06]
53 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the additional services and supports her Department intends to make available to beet growers for the development of the biofuel industry here in view of the fact that following the signing of the EU reform package the production of beet for sugar is no longer commercially viable; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6024/06]
323 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science if directives or regulations have been issued with regard to auditing of accounts or primary school procedures in place to govern the way such audits are to be carried out; the frequency of such audits; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6038/06]
201 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Finance the number of rented properties currently housing offices of the Department of Social and Family Affairs; the amount his Department has paid out in rent in respect of each of these premises used by local and other offices of the Department of Social and Family Affairs per annum each year since 2003; the amount of rent paid by his Department per annum for each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6037/06]
637 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the efforts his Department is making at local authority level to reduce poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5432/06]
559 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in primary schools whose numbers are in excess of 25 pupils and in excess of 30 pupils, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5098/06]
558 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the primary schools that have been approved for capital funding to enable replacement, extensions or refurbishments to take place in 2006; the amount approved in respect of each school; the local contribution to be paid in respect of each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5097/06]
549 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the schools that were successful in their applications for funding under the devolved grant initiative in 2005; the amount each school received; the cost of the respective projects being undertaken by each school; the amount to be made up in each case by way of local contribution or parental subscription or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5021/06]
412 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount paid out under the diet supplement scheme in the years 2004 and to date in 2006; the number of recipients of the supplement in each year respectively; the minimum and maximum amounts payable under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4956/06]
379 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has satisfied himself that all persons working in his Department or in State or semi-State bodies under the auspices of his Department are being paid at least the minimum wage for the hours worked; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5357/06]
336 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the photoselective vaporisation of the prostate laser procedure using the green light laser system to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia; if her attention has been drawn to plans to introduce the system here; her views on such a system; the way it compares to the more traditional transurethral resection of the prostate; the number of cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia treated by transurethral resection of the prostate each year here since 2000; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[5810/06]
128 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress that has been made in establishing a new national trust to safeguard old buildings; the terms of reference for the trust; the funding that will be made available for the trust; when it is expected to be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5354/06]
213 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Defence the interest his Department has in Spike Island; if his Department holds or leases any part of Spike Island; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4829/06]
129 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on allowing the one-parent family payment to recipients to retain all their secondary benefits for the duration of their participation in education and training programmes in view of the fact that almost 50% of one-parent family payment claimants only have a primary level education and the fact that he has identified the need to remove the barriers to lone parents in entering employment as one of his Department’s priorities for 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4938/06]
15 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he intends introducing the advocacy service for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4661/06]
19 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the services, supports and programmes his Department has in place to assist young carers under the age of 18 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4663/06]
4 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the recent NESF Report No. 33, Creating a More Inclusive Labour Market (January 2006) which highlights the ever increasing inequality of society here; his views on the findings of the report; the action the Government intends to take as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4937/06]
1 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the schemes available to widows or widowers in receipt of pensions from his Department to enable recipients to re-enter the workforce; his views on an increase in the earnings and income disregard, in particular for young widows, many of whom have dependant children and may have been outside the workforce for a considerable amount of time; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4936/06]
264 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps his Department is taking to ensure that eligible persons are made aware of their social welfare entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4476/06]
347 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the anticipated costs to his Department in administering the new early child care supplement in 2006 and also in a full year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4239/06]
246 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of people for which her Department received over €420 million in respect of health treatments here for people who worked abroad as outlined by the Taoiseach in response to Leaders' Questions on 31 January 2006; the amount received from each respective state; the international agreement or agreements through which this money was received; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[4245/06]
190 Mr. Stanton asked the Taoiseach if work has begun on the national disability survey; if not, when same is due to begin; the terms of reference and scope of the survey; when he expects the survey to be completed and results available; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3741/06]
185 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the Government’s policy on the EU services directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4071/06]
71 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, further to the recent findings of the survey of work-life balance (details supplied), his views on the fact that 86.1% of the people surveyed believed that paternity leave should be a legal entitlement and that approximately 60% felt that all paternity leave should be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3551/06]
13 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the NDA report (details supplied) that people with disabilities suffer significant inequality compared to people without disabilities, across a wide rage of areas of life; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3552/06]
262 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the decentralisation process has been completed with regard to the decentralisation of the OPFP processing and payment system to local social welfare offices; if he will report on the improvements that the decentralisation of the OPFP has brought about, in particular with regard to the speed of the application and assessment process; the number of OPFP applications currently awaiting assessment; the average time a claim takes to be processed and decided; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3599/06]
261 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason PRSI contributions from self-employed people are not considered when assessing eligibility with regard to the retirement pension; his views on whether this discriminates against self-employed people; if he has considered or will consider altering the eligibility criteria to include PRSI contributions from self-employed people; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3598/06]
197 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Transport if he has received communication from CIE-Iarnród Éireann regarding the possible refurbishment of Kent Station, Cork; if so, the position regarding the contents of the communication; the action he will take as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3312/06]
113 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Transport when he expects to clear the driving test backlog, in view of the fact that the number of provisional licence holders rose by almost 25,000 in 2005; his views on whether this backlog is compromising road safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3311/06]
500 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the content of the social, personal and health education module run in schools in conjunction with her Department; the success of this module in improving the mental health of students; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3274/06]
408 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 824 of 25 January 2006 the number of posts that his Department is currently working to fill as stated in his reply; the location of each post; the grade of each post; the way in which he intends to fill each post; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3372/06]
351 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children further to Question No. 369 of 28 September 2005, if her Department’s consultation process with the Department of Education and Science on the commencement of the provisions of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 has been completed; if the statutory regulations have been prepared; the timescale for the full commencement of the provisions of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3277/06]
350 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the National Office for Suicide Prevention has been established; if not, when she expects same to be established; the functions of the National Office for Suicide Prevention; when the National Office for Suicide Prevention will begin its work; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3276/06]
348 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the programmes and supports in place to promote positive mental health among young people, in particular the 15 to 24 age group; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3273/06]
237 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her Department has mental health programmes in place targeted specifically at young males in the 15 to 35 age group, in view of the fact that males represented 78% of suicides here in 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3005/06]
349 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the child care policy unit of her Department has undertaken research into the causes of child homelessness here in view of the fact that a total of 492 children were deemed homeless in 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3275/06]
163 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the programmes and supports in place by the child care policy unit of her Department to tackle youth homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3004/06]
127 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the membership of the disability legislation consultation group; the remit of this group; the meetings he or his Minister of State have had with the members of this group following the passage of the Disability Act 2005; his plans to set up additional such groups with a wider membership to monitor the progress of the Disability Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2578/06]
126 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received a copy of the IPA report to the board of the National Disability Authority on the way in which the NDA is run; if he has seen the report; if the report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2577/06]
89 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department has information on the level of educational qualification attained by each lone parent in receipt of one parent family payments; if so, the breakdown of the educational qualifications achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2685/06]
88 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the qualification criterion stands at nine months with regard to the back to education allowance for entry into third level courses; if so, when his Department’s website will be updated to state same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2684/06]
49 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive will provide an occupational therapy support and speech therapy support for a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[2649/06]
48 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the situation regarding the autistic spectrum disorder clinic in Cork; the waiting lists for assessment and services through the clinic; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[2648/06]
1517 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if a national policy with consistent guidelines exists on the management of dangerous beaches; if not, his views on developing such a policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2459/06]
1402 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science if her Department is in receipt of an application to extend a school (details supplied); when a decision will be made regarding this application; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[2453/06]
1290 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of academic staff employed by the National Maritime Collage; her plans to increase staff numbers at the college; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1496/06]