18 Mr. Gilmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she plans to take following a recent report on concealed pregnancy which found that there are women who continue to conceal and deny pregnancy; and if she intends to follow the suggestion in the report.
[21320/06]
101 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on extending the fuel allowance scheme beyond its current dates of operation in view of the unusually cold weather in spring and early summer 2006, and the generally unpredictable nature of the weather in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21187/06]
44 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the recent upsurge in visitor numbers here from Eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21018/06]
627 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of homeless persons for whom emergency accommodation is being directly provided by the local authorities and by the Homeless Persons Units of the Health Service Executive.
[20947/06]
626 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of homeless persons being accommodated by each of the voluntary sector agencies.
[20946/06]
625 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the financial provisions in respect of homelessness for each year since 2000 provided to local authorities and other State bodies, and the voluntary sector.
[20945/06]
624 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has considered the impact for homelessness of the intended closure of mental hospitals in the near future.
[20943/06]
362 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) who was detained by the Israeli military on 23 May 2005 and who has been in detention since then; if he has taken action on the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21468/06]
191 Mr. Gilmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of patients likely to be discharged from mental hospitals due to the intended closures.
[20944/06]
136 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on the MANs; the take-up on the MANs; the long-term strategy for managing the MANs in the context of the overall communications infrastructure; if the operator suffered losses of as much as €4 million for 2005 as has recently been reported; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20618/06]
95 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding EU measures to ban mobile roaming charges; when the legislation will be brought in; his views on whether this will lead to increased costs for mobile handsets as leading mobile operators have recently alleged; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20619/06]
328 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to facilitate full purchase of affordable houses by those on the shared ownership scheme in such a way that a claw back will not apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20154/06]
61 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has received a copy of the ASTI survey on science 2006; her views on its findings which include a perception on the part of students that science is a hard subject, inadequate facilities for science in many schools and only 22% of teachers use information and communications technology in their teaching on a regular basis, mainly due to lack of time; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[19888/06]
27 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has received a copy of the ASTI survey on special needs 2006; her views on its findings which include widespread delays in securing assessments and resources for children with special needs and lack of training for teachers in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[19887/06]
163 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to his interview in a newspaper (details supplied) 9 May 2006 if he will clarify his views on IRA criminality; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19723/06]
98 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the timetable for the re-establishment of all the institutions created under the Good Friday Agreement in view of the recall of the Northern Ireland Assembly; when new negotiations between the political parties in Northern Ireland and the British and Irish Governments will begin; the location of these talks; the length of time they are expected to last; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19724/06]
522 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for the delay in the approval of a NABCO housing scheme at Loughlinstown, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19258/06]
109 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the findings of a report, The Distributional Impact of Ireland’s Indirect Tax System, published in May 2006 by the Combat Poverty Agency which showed that the indirect tax system is regressive, with households in the lower decile paying out 21% of their income in indirect taxes while households in the top decile pay out 9.6% of their income this way; the action he will take regarding the report’s recommendations to ensure progressivity elsewhere in the tax system; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19267/06]
104 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons, companies and trusts being investigated by the Revenue Commissioners arising from the Clerical Medical Insurance, NIB inquiry at the latest date for which figures are available; the number of cases where settlements have been agreed; the amount paid to date; the number of cases outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19281/06]
158 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Transport the number of prosecutions which have been brought against the operators of passenger coach services for breaches of tachograph regulations over the past five years; the number which have been heard in court; and the breakdown of the outcome.
[18973/06]
77 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the Government intends to draft legislation on the co-existence of genetically modified crops with conventional and organic farming; when she expects to be in a position to bring such legislation before the Houses of the Oireachtas; the research and consultation that has been conducted by her Department in relation to genetically modified crops; and her views on genetically modified organisms co-existence with conventional and organic farming.
[16473/06]
20 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress which has been made on the issue of substantial transformation of food products; if the Commission has published a consultation paper on the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[18869/06]
332 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Government intends to ban management companies in housing estates.
[18854/06]
324 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the date in summer 2006 on which he expects to commence a pilot project on affordable homes for renting; the length of time the project will run for; and if and when it is planned to roll such a strategy out nationwide.
[18680/06]
323 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the date in summer 2006 on which he expects to introduce a new, simpler and streamlined affordable housing scheme; and the way in which this scheme will operate.
[18679/06]
315 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his strategy for ensuring that housing development includes an appropriate social mix and provides necessary social infrastructure; if he intends to repeal the Planning and Development Amendment Act 2002 to ensure that developers are bound to create an appropriate social mix in housing developments rather than buying their way out of the arrangement.
[18671/06]
314 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reforms which will be applied to the disabled person grant and the essential repairs grant following the review of these grants.
[18670/06]
322 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the operation of and the conditions for qualification under the new tenant purchase scheme proposed in the new Housing Strategy Framework; when he expects this scheme to be piloted; and when he expects it to be fully operational.
[18678/06]
321 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the new proposals for improvements in the governance of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector under the new Housing Strategy Framework.
[18677/06]
320 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reforms that will be brought into force in respect of the new Housing Strategy Framework indicating which ones will require the bringing forward of legislation and when such legislation will be expected to be drafted and to come before Dáil Éireann in respect of improvements in the provision of housing advice; new means of assessing need; implementation of a fair rents policy across all social housing tenures; and improved management and maintenance of local authority housing stock and services to tenants.
[18676/06]
319 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the supports, including resources, guidelines and other measures, that will be available to local authorities under the new Housing Strategy Framework in their attempts to tackle anti-social behaviour.
[18675/06]
318 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the role that public private partnerships are expected to play in regenerating areas as laid down under the new Housing Strategy Framework.
[18674/06]
317 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the provisions which are laid down in the new Housing Strategy Framework to prioritise the management and maintenance of social housing estates; the timeframe for the rejuvenation of all run-down social housing estates and remedial works to improve local authority housing; the estimated cost of the proposed regeneration of all run down social housing estates nationally and remedial works to improve local authority housing; the amount of this funding which will be provided by his Department or by central funds; and the amount local authorities will be expected to provide themselves.
[18673/06]
316 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the new Housing Strategy Framework will include energy efficiency systems and installations, such as the provision of double glazing for all social housing stock, both existing and planned, under the commitment to better quality social housing in the framework.
[18672/06]
313 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures to be introduced in respect of housing for those with special needs, including travellers, to improve inter-agency co-operation where there is a care dimension additional to accommodation needs; and when he expects these measures to be introduced.
[18669/06]
312 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding arrangements planned to support increased delivery by the voluntary and co-operative sector; the arrangements and measures which have been developed to date; the arrangements, which have been put into place and are operational; and when he hopes to have the completed suite of arrangements operational.
[18668/06]
311 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount which the capital funding limits for voluntary and co-operative sector housing will be raised under the new housing strategy; the extent of consultation with the sector in determining these new limits; if the limits are reflective of the real cost of building currently and the expected costs in the short to medium future; and how often the limits will be reviewed in future.
[18667/06]
310 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the schedule including deliverables and timeframes for 2006, 2007 and 2008 for the completion of the RAS scheme; the number of recipients of rent supplement he expects to be accommodated by the RAS scheme for each of the years 2006, 2007 and 2008; and the number of rent supplement recipients who have been accommodated under the scheme to date.
[18666/06]
309 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of the 6,000 social housing units planned in the local authority sector for 2006 which have been started to date.
[18665/06]
308 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of social housing units which are expected to be started and the number expected to be completed in the local Government sector in 2006, 2007 and 2008; the number of social housing units which are expected to be started and the number expected to be completed in the voluntary and co-operative sector in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
[18664/06]
307 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amendments that will be made to the existing Residential Density Guidelines in order to deal with the design and management of apartments.
[18663/06]
301 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of social housing units, affordable housing units and voluntary housing sector units produced here in the past decade; and the amount of social housing units, affordable housing units and voluntary housing sector units respectively produced here in the past decade, each expressed as a proportion of the total number of houses built here during that time.
[18657/06]
306 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the estimated capital cost of investing in infrastructure aimed at delivering high levels of housing and improved affordability over the next five, 10 and 15 years.
[18662/06]
304 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the programme of investment in social and affordable housing for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively as set out under the new Housing Policy Framework.
[18660/06]
300 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the Exchequer capital investment for each of the years 2006, 2007 and 2008, in respect of social housing; the amount in respect of affordable housing for each of the years 2006, 2007 and 2008; the amount in respect of voluntary and co-operative housing for each of the years 2006, 2007 and 2008.
[18656/06]
305 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the policy directions planned under the new Housing Policy Framework over the medium term; and the timeframe defined by the medium term for the purposes of the policy framework.
[18661/06]
303 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the key recommendations of the NESC report, Housing in Ireland: Performance and Policy, which will be implemented under the new housing policy framework.
[18659/06]
302 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the key Government policies and policy directions aimed at ensuring a quality living environment for householders and communities in view of the estimated rise of 1 million people here over the next fifteen years; and the number of social and affordable housing units he estimates will be required in five, 10 and 15 years time.
[18658/06]
299 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for the delay in publishing the new housing policy statement (details supplied), which was due to be published in early 2006.
[18655/06]
298 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the preparation of the new housing policy statement (details supplied) has been completed; the date on which he expects the completed document to be published in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18654/06]