10 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the arrangements his Department has made for protecting Shannon Airport from possible attack; if his Department liaises with the US authorities on the use of Shannon for the transportation of US troops to the Middle East; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the new US Secretary of Defence has stated that the US is a country at war; his views on whether Shannon should cease to be a hub for the transportation of US troops and supplies to the theatre of war in Iraq; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38352/06]
36 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport, further to Parliamentary Question No. 463 of 21 November 2006, if he has received a proposal from the Commission for Taxi Regulation in relation to a subsidy to encourage the greater availability of wheelchair accessible taxis; the estimated cost to the Exchequer of such a subsidy; the amount of funding provided in the Estimates 2007 for such a subsidy; and his decision in relation to its introduction and financing.
[41625/06]
533 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make provision for the establishment of small playschools on the same basis as small bed and breakfasts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41318/06]
482 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has discussed the future use of the Fishery Building, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, with the Office of Public Works as promised (details supplied); her views on making it available to the local Glasnevin Educate Together multi-denominational school; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41316/06]
291 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 who had been diagnosed by their general practitioner with pneumonia and sent to the accident and emergency of the Mater Hospital, was not admitted on four separate occasions and on the fifth occasion had to be taken immediately into the intensive care unit as their organs were collapsing; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41504/06]
174 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the legislation underpinning the Garda central vetting unit and the vetting procedures; when it is proposed to begin and complete the vetting of child care staff; when it is proposed to begin and complete the vetting of teaching staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41323/06]
152 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children if in view of the recent granting of a pan European licence to suboxone, a sister product of subutex, she will develop a protocol for its use along the lines of the methadone protocol; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41382/06]
90 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children her views on calls for an independent person to examine the reason thousands of children are waiting for orthodontic treatment or being denied treatment; the number of children and adults waiting for treatment; the number of orthodontists currently being trained; the progress to date on implementing the recommendations made in 2005 by the Joint Committee on Health and Children; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41381/06]
109 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the criteria to be used to assess the relative merits of the tenders for the supply of bovine animal identification tags when the initial request for tenders was advertised; if the criteria changed throughout the tendering process; against which of these criteria did each of the failed tenders not achieve a score at least as good as that achieved by the eventual winner of the contract.
[40543/06]
34 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the outcome of each of the requests her Department has received under freedom of information legislation during each of the past five years.
[40544/06]
332 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a rent subsidy is refused entirely when the landlord raises the rent above the prescribed level; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39929/06]
315 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the incidence of asbestosis among dockers at Dublin Port; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39925/06]
267 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children if the new Children’s Hospital will be built on a site at the Mater Hospital; if paediatric services will continue in Crumlin, Tallaght and James St. hospitals after the construction of the new Children’s Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40300/06]
266 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children her policy on independent living for people who have a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40299/06]
195 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals for relocating the Registry of Deeds Office from Henrietta Street; if he has received submissions from interested parties regarding the future use of the premises; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40317/06]
194 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will respond to the statement on page 10 of the Inspector of Prisons Annual Report for 2003 to 2004, published in April 2005 regarding travel all around the world by senior officials in the Prison Service; the foreign travel that took place; the purpose of such travel; the findings of the travel group; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40316/06]
145 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science the provision that will be made for free or subsidised tuition for persons who wish to apply for a place in the proposed post-graduate medical school who can not afford a fee-paying course; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40133/06]
101 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of extra Youthreach places she will provide over the next year; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40134/06]
114 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the latest efforts being made to ensure that Sinn Féin support the PSNI and take their seats on the Policing Board; the efforts he is making to encourage Sinn Féin to hold an Ard-Fheis on this issue as a matter of urgency; his views on whether a positive decision from such an Ard-Fheis has the potential to provoke significant progress towards restoring the political institutions in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39542/06]
59 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the responses of political parties in Northern Ireland given to the British and Irish governments following the period of consultation immediately after the talks at St Andrews; his further views on whether these responses are sufficient for further progress to be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39541/06]
417 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence when his Department sold Clancy Barracks, Islandbridge; the name of the developer who purchased it and the price; the reason his Department refused to sell it to Dublin City Council; if his Department retains a financial or other interest in the barracks; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39261/06]
357 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he proposes to introduce new policies or new regulations governing traffic management for Croke Park and Lansdowne Road national stadia; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39268/06]
191 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the in-camera rule; the number of family law cases which have been heard since the new legislation was passed; the number that have been reported; the number of stenographers and reporters who have been appointed to cover the family court cases since the legislation was passed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39291/06]
190 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if any of the Gardaí who were criticised in the Morris Reports from the Morris Tribunal and who resigned or retired have since been employed in any capacity by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39290/06]
189 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of drug offences which came before the courts in 2005; the number of cases in which the mandatory minimum sentence could have been imposed; the number of cases in which it was actually imposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39289/06]
180 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of money that has been seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau in each year since it’s establishment in 1996; the amount of money seized and still frozen; the amount of money seized and released; the use to which the money has been put; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39280/06]
131 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to reports that there has been a sharp increase in the number of construction companies making bad debt claims from their trade credit insurance policies and that the ratio of claims to premiums paid has exceeded the 50% ratio at the leading underwriter of trade credit insurance for the construction industry; if the Government is concerned at the implications this sudden increase in bad debt in the construction sector has for the health of the economy here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39219/06]
92 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Finance the receipts on an annual basis from DIRT tax for each year from 1997 to date in 2006; the number of people or accounts it levied on in each of those years; the arrangements in force in respect of refunds where DIRT is levied on taxpayers with unused personal tax allowances and credits; if there are special allowances in place in respect of people over 65; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39251/06]
521 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of education welfare officers in the Dublin area; the number of schools which have a full time education welfare officer to look after their needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[38609/06]
268 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals she has to provide independent living for people who have a disability and in particular in relation to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[38489/06]
147 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on the fact that worries are being expressed that Ireland’s electricity generation capacity will be inadequate from 2008/2009 onwards; the steps he may be taking to ensure that sufficient generation will be brought on stream from 2007 to ensure energy security here; if there will be a tight supply demand balance in winter 2006; if there have been amber or red alerts in the electricity system in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38825/06]
131 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will provide details on the forthcoming Single Electricity Market Bill; when it will be fully published and made available to Dáil Éireann; the impact of the SEM Bill on CER; if there will now be a single all island energy regulator; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38826/06]
32 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence if members of the Defence forces are involved in training for EU Battle Groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38182/06]
42 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence the duties that have been assigned to the Irish troops in Lebanon; the location of the Irish troops in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38183/06]
5 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence if he will publish the report on the investigation he has commissioned into the Niemba ambush in the Congo; if he will give due recognition to the two survivors of the ambush; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38195/06]
2 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence if he will arrange for the force of 56 soldiers who are currently deployed with EUFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina to search for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38351/06]
143 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the business he expects to be transacted at the next meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council; if Ireland will be bringing any particular issues to the table; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37727/06]
125 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the actions he is taking to examine the effect of recent increases in electricity prices on small and medium enterprises; the assistance he is making available to companies being put under competitive pressure internationally due to the increase in electricity prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37725/06]
526 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence if he will make a provision for the EUFOR and KFOR troops serving in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina to conduct a search of the Medjugorje area for an Irish citizen (details supplied) who disappeared there.
[37676/06]
486 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science her response to the recent recommendation of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child that the State should promote the establishment of non-denominational and multi denominational schools; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued a similar recommendation in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[37677/06]
118 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his response to the pre-budget submission made by the Combat Poverty Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37591/06]
102 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he intends to respond to the call from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to provide additional assistance for poorer families to cope with rising energy costs, particularly in view of the disclosure that the society had paid out €1m to assist families who had their gas and electricity supplies disconnected; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37592/06]
46 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the details of the new language scheme of Óglaigh na hÉireann under section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003; the Irish language services that will be provided under the scheme; the duration of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37007/06]
12 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the recent funding that was approved from the dormant accounts fund; the money allocated to provide addiction counselling and employment supports for prisoners and ex-prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37006/06]
109 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he intends to notify local authorities of the rate support grant and the proceeds of motor taxation which will be allocated to each local authority for 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36499/06]
48 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the MakeRoom campaign which was recently launched by the four housing non-governmental organisations; his views on the objectives of the campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36498/06]
191 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made in Britain and Ireland on the repatriation application of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36396/06]
108 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the procedures being put in place to ensure that the maximum number of prisoners possible are allowed to exercise the franchise at the next election, following the enactment of the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2006; the steps being taken to create awareness of this entitlement among prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36263/06]
94 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number and estimated value of illegal fireworks seized by the gardaí in September and October 2006; the number of such cases where prosecutions have been initiated; the number of cases where vehicles being used to transport illegal fireworks have been seized; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36241/06]
94 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will confirm the allocation of funding to Dublin Bus for the promised 100 new buses; the time scale for this delivery; and when they will be brought into service.
[35783/06]