963 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the Athlone, County Westmeath water treatment plant upgrade will be completed, in the interest of public health.
[33854/07]
929 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans he has to update legislation and provision for long-term asylum seekers to allow them to work or continue in funded education after completion of second level, until their residency status has been determined; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34404/07]
842 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath can defer their entry to the Garda centre, Templemore until they have completed their degree course at University College Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33287/07]
837 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the circumstance surrounding the arrest and detention in Mountjoy of a person (details supplied) in County Laois; the provision made for their welfare and care; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33248/07]
515 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will increase the aged 80 allowance by €6 to €16 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33246/07]
513 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if social insurance credits will be provided to those who have had breaks in their working lives, particularly those who have been absent from the workforce due to caring responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33244/07]
512 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his commitment under the programme for Government to increasing the qualified adult allowance rates to the level of the full State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33243/07]
514 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to reduce the discrepancy between the shortfall between the additional cost for older persons, over 70 living alone which result in a weekly shortfall of €47 to €90 as compared to a €9 to €62 shortfall in the same period for couples of a similar age; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33245/07]
511 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in view of the fact that one in five pensioners are at risk of poverty, under the programme for Government undertaking to increase the basic State pension to at least €300 by 2012, he will ensure that this provision is front loaded and not drip fed at the rate of €20 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33242/07]
470 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding investment in research and development which is central to improving management and industry for the continuous growth in industry exports and to improve the quality of business; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34405/07]
388 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Transport the measures he will take to counteract the discontinuance of flights (details supplied) in and out of Gatwick Airport from Knock Airport which provided an important link to the Gatwick area of London as currently there is no other direct link to Gatwick.
[34402/07]
151 Deputy James Bannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if, in view of the pay increase that An Taoiseach has awarded himself and other Government Ministers and the projected pay restraints in the public sector, he will make provision for a Christmas bonus for the political staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, in line with practice in the private sector and the Department of Social and Family Affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33241/07]
473 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the provision of a new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
[32239/07]
245 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason persons (details supplied) in County Longford have lost their general practitioner visit card; and the reason, in view of the severity of their condition, they have not been granted a medical card.
[32238/07]
15 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if and when he will bring forward legislation to establish Culture Ireland on a statutory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31552/07]
104 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the IDA plans for job creation in Longford Town and Ballymahon, County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25902/07]
101 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the IDA plans for job creation in Rathowen and Mullingar, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25903/07]
114 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason the UN Security Council will not agree a formal arms embargo on Burma; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29330/07]
61 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland has ever had diplomatic relations with Burma; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29329/07]
49 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the steps she plans to take to protect the integrity of Irish beef and other meats following the food and veterinary office report on its March 2007 visit to Brazil, which highlighted the continuing shortcomings and deficiencies, as demonstrated in one meat plant, where an animal was declared non-EU eligible but its meat formed part of a consignment of meat destined for the EU.
[29889/07]
17 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the plans in place to counteract the threat to Ireland’s bio-security following the confirmation of the incidence of bird flu in Norfolk which comes shortly after the outbreaks of foot and mouth and Bluetongue in the UK; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[29888/07]
88 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans he has to counteract the plans to cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Irish Heritage Trust and the Heritage Council in budget 2008.
[28492/07]
8 Deputy James Bannon asked the Taoiseach the steps he will take to maintain the British-Irish relations fostered by Prime Minister Blair; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20269/07]
505 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the grounds and the means by which he would consider granting permission to Dublin City Council to extract water from Shannon/Lough Ree to serve the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28275/07]
351 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow who has residency on the basis of their Irish born child and on the basis of the humanitarian ground that led to their arrival in this country is being denied a grant to finish their third level studies; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28281/07]
311 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the grounds on which payment under the single payment scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Longford was withheld on the grounds of non-compliance; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28279/07]
310 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the status of a single farm payment for a person (details supplied) in County Longford, particularly in relation to information from her Department relating to the number of transfers requested by the person which are being contested; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28278/07]
275 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Longford is entitled to a contributory pension but at a reduced rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28273/07]
234 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Transport when the Mullingar to Athlone rail line will be re-opened following the recommendations of the Iarnród Éireann report; the position regarding funding for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28280/07]
172 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding orthodontic treatment for a child (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28276/07]
171 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason patients in the National Rehabilitation Hospital are being refused funding, home care and nursing home packages to enable them to leave hospital, with the knock on effect of depriving access to other patients in need of the therapy which the NRH provides; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28274/07]
121 Deputy James Bannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will remove capital gains tax on the disposal of farm land to local authorities for road building or road widening provided the proceeds of the compensation are reinvested in farm business assets; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28284/07]
120 Deputy James Bannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if all taxpayers will benefit equally from increases in personal tax credits in budget 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28283/07]
352 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Science the changes that will be made to the CAO system to increase places for Irish/EU medical students if the High Court challenge to the quota is successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28282/07]
126 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the quantities of meat per annum imported into Ireland of an origin unknown to consumers, packaged here and labelled Irish, for example beef from Brazil.
[27848/07]
125 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the grounds on which she considers it logical to approve of the importation of meat, reared on genetically modified maize and yet to refuse to sanction the acceleration of GM maize approval in the EU, making an unequal market for Irish meat.
[27847/07]
124 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the rationale behind her apparent disregard for the threat posed to the farming industry here by the importation of Brazilian beef.
[27846/07]
30 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Defence the strength of the Army ranger wing as a percentage of its establishment; the measures that are being adopted to address the current shortfall; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27751/07]
34 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Defence the support provisions such as leave, postal arrangements, telephone and Internet access that are being put in place for the Irish troops who will participate in the forthcoming EU mission to Chad; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27752/07]
103 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action that has been taken to date to implement the recommendations made in the 2007 Report on Restorative Justice by the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Right; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27329/07]
92 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of incarcerated sex offenders participating in the sex offender rehabilitation programme; the number on waiting lists to avail of the programme; the number of prisoners who have participated in the programme since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27330/07]
294 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the plans in place to introduce a late night rural transport scheme to facilitate people in remote areas accessing cinemas and other places of entertainment to alleviate rural isolation.
[27005/07]
293 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if and when he will increase funding for local improvement schemes; and the projected levels of such increases.
[27004/07]
210 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans for the preservation of the Market House, Castlepollard, County Westmeath which is the oldest building in the town and is a valuable link to the 18th century; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26705/07]
73 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason a general practitioner (details supplied) in County Longford has been forced to endure years working in inadequate premises, in terms of space, access and parking despite repeated requests to the Health Service Executive; if, in view of the fact that they have acquired new premises at considerable cost, the HSE will assist them in furnishing, equipment and other related expenses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[26706/07]
410 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans she will put in place to copper-fasten a realistic time-scale for the completion of the new schools which her Department has proposed and outlined for Mullingar, with suggested locations in Curraghmore, Lynn, Marlinstown, Robinstown and Mullingar west; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[25985/07]
5 Deputy James Bannon asked the Taoiseach if the cost of deals with Independent Deputies valued at hundreds of millions of euro will be reimbursed to the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17107/07]
60 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the plans he has in place for supporting the Irish Theatre Institute in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25675/07]
43 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if additional funding will be made available for the new sports hall at school (details supplied) in County Longford as water damage to the new facility will cost €106,000 in additional funding to repair and the facility cannot now be opened to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25765/07]
266 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures being taken to eliminate the risks of cryptosporidium in the country’s water supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25684/07]