1 Mr. Costello asked the Taoiseach the commemorations planned to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme; when these commemorations will take place; the persons who have been invited to attend; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23792/06]
447 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the proposals for the management of traffic, drawn up by an association (details supplied), for match days and concerts in Croke Park; his views regarding the proposals; if the proposals require legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25677/06]
295 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Finance his views on developing the old Daingean reformatory as a combined tourist and leisure centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25707/06]
163 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the way in which a person (details supplied) was taken into the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital for treatment of an infection; the reason the family received no formal apology or explanation from the authorities there; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[26904/06]
139 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount of the school building programme funding allocated for 2006 that has been spent; the amount that remains unspent; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[25909/06]
89 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has made a decision with regard to re-activating the National Adult Learning Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[25908/06]
80 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when in recent times, as a principle of balance to its isolation of the Hamas Government in Palestine, the Irish government or the European Union has called on Israel to curtail its illegal settlement policy.
[25252/06]
76 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the recent study by the Trinity College Dublin School of Business Studies which showed that voluntary organisations here get only 1.4 percent of their funding in donations from the business community; if the social finance fund announced in Budget 2006 will include measures to encourage the wider involvement of the business community in community organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24952/06]
68 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Finance his views on the report by the OECD, and echoed by the European Central Bank, that another interest rate increase will place Ireland in the high risk category of experiencing a sharp house price reversal; if his Department has conducted an assessment of the implications of a house price reversal for the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24937/06]
466 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will facilitate the repatriation of a person (details supplied) in England; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24689/06]
467 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of the applications for refugee status for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24690/06]
443 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason he is proposing to deport a person (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Romania will be joining the EU on 1 January 2007 or 2008; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that much of the information which he relied on in making his decision is disputed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24376/06]
426 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of dangerous driving cases causing death which have occurred in each of the past five years; the number which have been prosecuted in the Circuit Court and the number that have been prosecuted in the District Court for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24351/06]
348 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will allow limousine mourning cars to drive in bus lanes when engaged in official duties without the funeral cortege; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24540/06]
125 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to changes in her Department’s method of dealing with the implementation of EU agriculture related Directives, in view of the European Court of Justice’s judgment in March 2004 that Ireland was in breach of its EU law obligations in respect of the transposition of the Nitrates Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[24591/06]
51 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when she expects the Brazilian Government to submit an action plan in response to the recommendations of the EU FVO review of the animal health and public health control systems, traceability and certification procedures in place in Brazil; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[24589/06]
36 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence the number of surviving veterans of the War of Independence who rendered active service; if there is an intention to honour them in a special way on the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23736/06]
12 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence the role of the Defence Forces under the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents; the role of the Reserve Defence Forces in same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23727/06]
5 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence the number of Army deafness claims that have been processed; the number of claims outstanding; the payment to claimants to date; the cost of fees paid to legal firms representing claimants; the cost of fees paid to his Department’s lawyers; the number of complaints made by Army deafness clients against their legal advisers for double charging; the action taken by him to pursue these complaints and the outcome of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24177/06]
2 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence the legislative provision under which 1,000 Irish troops have been deployed in Kosovo; if he is satisfied that the mission in Kosovo was established by the United Nations; if so, when it was established; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24176/06]
108 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of all outstanding EU directives due to be transposed in whole or in part by his Department; if he will list those directives for which his Department has received one or more warnings from the EU in relation to non-transposition or incorrect transposition; the timetable for implementation of all outstanding directives; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23492/06]
43 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans in relation to the joint European resources for micro to medium enterprise programme; the amount of funding to be allocated each year to 2013, including 2006, under the programme; the types of businesses he intends to aid through this mechanism; the processes to be used for businesses wishing to obtain such funding; if he intends to set a maximum timeframe from a completed application being submitted to a decision being given to the applicant and to funding being paid down; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23489/06]
449 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps which have been taken to redevelop schools (details supplied) in Dublin 7; when the redevelopment is expected to begin and be completed; the locations where the pupils will be housed in the interim; the expected cost of the temporary accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[23301/06]
79 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has received the report from the Pensions Board that he requested regarding mandatory pension options; its main findings; if it is not complete, when he expects to receive a copy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22980/06]
65
D'fhiafraigh Mr. Costello den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil staidéar déanta aige ar an tslí inar scaipeadh na deontais tithíochta idir na Gaeltachtaí i 2005; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina leith.
[22759/06]
337 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the Garda unit for vetting people who apply to work with young people was established; the number of people in the unit; the areas of employment vetted by the unit; the average waiting time for vetting to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22699/06]
335 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps which have been taken to verify the accuracy of the allegations in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22688/06]
292 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will allow taxi drivers use the contra-flow bus lanes as well as the ordinary bus lanes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22705/06]
288 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will allow mourning coach hearse cars to drive in bus lanes when conveying bereaved family members to and from the church and to the graveyard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22596/06]
256 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in relation to travellers to the USA by air transport arising from the decision of the European Court of Justice to annul the EU-US agreement on the transfer of personal data to the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection; the implications for Irish citizens travelling to the USA; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22685/06]
147 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps the Government has taken to prepare for the real threat of a nuclear disaster at Sellafield; the role the Army has in the Government’s plan; how often the national emergency committee has met in each of the past five years; when the national emergency plan was drawn up; when it was last updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17434/06]
146 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps the Government has taken to prepare for the real threat of a nuclear disaster at Sellafield; the role the army has in the Government’s plan; the number of times the national emergency committee has met in each of the past five years when the national emergency plan was drawn up; when it was last updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17198/06]
151 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport the number of countries which have used Shannon for transporting military equipment in each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22189/06]
150 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport the number of US soldiers who have stopped off at Shannon en route to Afghanistan or Iraq for each year since the US conflict began with these countries; the number who have stopped off at Shannon returning to the USA for each year since the conflict began; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22188/06]
149 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will comment on the recent exercise Eagle at Shannon airport that took place in April 2006; if he is satisfied with the effectiveness of the emergency services to respond to a major incident such as that staged during the exercise; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22187/06]
29 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of US planes whose cargo is not clearly identified that have been searched by the Irish security forces; the reason searches have not occurred in all instances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17192/06]
7 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the committee on video evidence was established; when it reported to his Department; the action which has been taken based on the report’s recommendations; when he intends to implement section 16 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1992, which provides that a video recording of evidence given by a person under 17 years of age in respect of sexual or violent offences shall be admissible as trial evidence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22119/06]
349 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will ensure that sufficient youth workers can be recruited to enable a club (details supplied) in Dublin 3 to provide services to children and young people in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21585/06]
320 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Gardaí in Cabra Garda Station in the last ten years; the number of these that are attached to Áras an Uachtaráin; the number of these that are Community Gardaí; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21589/06]
170 Mr. Costello asked the Taoiseach the reasons for granting a further extension to the MacEntee Commission of Investigation into the Dublin-Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21764/06]
127 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport the steps he has taken to ensure that a representative of young people sits on the board of the Road Safety Authority.
[21964/06]
69 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Transport his views on the banning of unaccompanied driving by holders of provisional licences and the licence categories this will apply to.
[21963/06]
42 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on concerns expressed by Schizophrenia Ireland that when the Government’s plans to sell off 200 plus acres of land occupied by 15 psychiatric hospitals is implemented that developers who buy land may buy their way out of an obligation to provide accommodation for mentally ill patients in new housing developments; the steps she intends to take to ensure same does not happen; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21318/06]
40 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on data from surveys that indicate that one in five boys and girls here are overweight and one in twenty are obese; the steps she is taking to address this growing problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[21317/06]
24 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position in regard to the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre; if he has brought the issue before Government in recent times; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21021/06]
14 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he requested the chairman and board of a football club (details supplied) to halt work on their proposed move to Swords to talk to another club regarding the possibility of a ground share, as reported in a newspaper on 5 May 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21013/06]
610 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason it is taking five years or more for extensions to houses which have been approved on medical grounds or due to over-crowding; the further reason he will not make adequate funding available to the local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20584/06]
536 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason a person (details supplied) was prevented from distributing leaflets relating to a vigil in Sean MacDermott Street Church and to a peaceful protest at Store Street Garda Station on 3 May 2006; the reason Gardaí entered their home without a warrant; the reason there is a regular Garda presence outside their home; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20997/06]