69 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps he will take to ensure that the time spent by applicants on supplementary welfare allowance count as part of the qualifying period and satisfy the eligibility criteria for applicants for schemes such as back to education allowance and others; the further steps he will take to amend the qualifying conditions to permit the foregoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30937/05]
120 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his legislative priorities for the new Dáil session; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30683/05]
96 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the decentralisation of his Department to Knock; if his Department will meet the deadline originally outlined; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30682/05]
159 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he will take to tackle homelessness; the further steps he will take to aid those who find themselves sleeping rough on the streets here (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30366/05]
54 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the widespread availability of cocaine here and the increasing quantities of crack cocaine that are seized; his proposals to tackle the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29742/05]
9 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether violent crime connected with gangland activities has got out of hand (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29743/05]
2 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will establish under the Commission of Investigations Act 2004, an inquiry into the deaths of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29917/05]
330 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress which has been made to date on the implementation of the Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[29723/05]
329 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science when she proposes to provide funding for the construction of a permanent school for the pupils of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 7; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[29722/05]
328 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that her initiative on extra special needs teachers in primary schools is weighted in favour of large schools and that smaller schools in disadvantaged areas are losing rather than gaining special needs teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[29721/05]
187 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the proposed cost of the new hospital at Eccles Street adjacent to the Mater Hospital; the amount already spent on the project since the Government approval in 1999; the reason for the delay in starting the construction work; the expected date for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[29720/05]
195 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the information available to her regarding the potential cost to the Exchequer of the illegal charges for nursing home care; the progress made to date by the Government committee regarding the question of repayments; if a decision has been made as to whether the Statute of Limitations will apply; the reason for the delay in making the repayments in view of her comments earlier in 2005 that payments would be made before the end of 2005; when the legislation will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28788/05]
153 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will provide the figures in respect of the number of cases of MRSA in each of the past three years and to date in 2005; the number of fatalities attributable to MRSA; the steps that are being taken to reduce the incidence of MRSA; if her attention has been drawn to the view expressed by top management in the main teaching hospitals in Dublin that measures to improve facilities and tackle overcrowding in hospitals will be required to deal with MRSA; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28789/05]
16 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position in regard to the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre; if he has sought Cabinet approval for a site in the Dublin docklands as the new location for the theatre; when designs for the new theatre will be sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28313/05]
150 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the details of the Irish proposals on quotas and efforts that will be advanced at the December 2005 Fisheries Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27895/05]
145 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the details of the recent biofuels initiative; his views on the replacement support pricing mechanism for the AER scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27867/05]
348 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason an application for the extradition of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow was not made in order that the trial could be held here where the murder occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27477/05]
87 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science her response to the finding of the OECD that spending on education here has been falling as a percentage of GDP and is well below the OECD average; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[27653/05]
59 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide more support to schools to operate book rental schemes in view of the increasing cost of school books to parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[27651/05]
93 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the reported ongoing failure to stem the spread of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in South Africa; the help which Ireland offers on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26849/05]
73 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the application by a person (details supplied) to reside here in view of the further deterioration of that person’s position over the summer of 2005; his likely response to this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26850/05]
297 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if an inquiry will be set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act 2004 into the circumstances surrounding the confession by Dean Lyons to the murder of two women at Grangegorman; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27119/05]
123 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the call made by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for the introduction of stricter rules for tax advisers to prevent abusive tax planning; his response to the call made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26624/05]
91 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Finance the reason no random audits were carried out on the Revenue Commissioners during 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26623/05]
550 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the geographical areas of counties Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon that are subject to tax designation; the scope and time scale for the designation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26437/05]
440 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to an incident in which persons were chased and assaulted (details supplied); if his attention has further been drawn to the criticism of the Garda response; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26501/05]
264 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to a group of persons who are relatives and friends of persons who died by suicide and who are involved in setting up a teen-line service for young persons at risk; if she will provide financial assistance to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[26502/05]
164 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will make a statement on her Department’s recently published report for 2004.
[26448/05]
127 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the allegations of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26087/05]
9 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on his meeting in Sarajevo with Major General David Leaky, commanding officer of the European Union Forces and with Lord Ashdown, UN High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina; the issues that were discussed at this meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25885/05]
1060 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the five gardaí who were criticised in the second Morris tribunal and whom the Garda Commissioner proposed to transfer to Dublin are still serving in Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25818/05]
1059 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí serving in each of the Dublin Garda stations for each year since 1997 to the present; the population served by each Garda station in 1997 and 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25817/05]
1030 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will accept an invitation from persons (details supplied) to meet them to discuss their concerns regarding ongoing prostitution in their area.
[25548/05]
1029 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications received by ADM Limited for the new community closed circuit television scheme for stage 1 and stage 2 by county and by Dublin postal district; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25547/05]
983 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if criminal convictions for offences committed in the State operate as a bar to non-EEA nationals being granted permission to remain and as grounds for revoking any such permission; if any non-EEA nationals have been given permission to remain in the State notwithstanding that they have been convicted of criminal offences in this jurisdiction; if so, the number of such permissions in each of the past five years; if he will report on the legal and policy considerations involved in deciding on such applications; if he has satisfied himself that he has access to and is given accurate and timely information in regard to such applications; if any permissions have been revoked in cases in which it was discovered that inaccurate or inadequate information was provided in regard to criminal convictions in the State; if so, if he will outline the circumstances of such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25161/05]
214 Mr. Costello asked the Taoiseach the reason he has not published Mr. Justice Barron’s report on the killing of a person (details supplied); if he will refer the report to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights for publication and examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[24789/05]
199 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of inspections carried out by the labour inspectorate of his Department to ensure payment of the national minimum wage in 2004 and to date in 2005; if his attention has been drawn to concerns expressed by labour inspectors that they do not have adequate resources to police the national minimum wage; the steps he will take to address the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25421/05]
166 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made to date with regard to the review of the 1971 Employment Agency Act, as agreed under the Sustaining Progress agreement; if the proposed policy paper has now been finalised and circulated; when this process will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25422/05]
51 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has met with the Bankers Federation of Ireland to discuss the report Do the Poor Pay More? in view of its finding that the poor are being pushed towards moneylenders due to the fact that they are unable to open bank accounts; the outcome of any such meeting; the specific requests he made or intends to make to the federation to address this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23018/05]
30
D'fhiafraigh Mr. Costello den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé sásta go bhfuil an t-easaontas a bhí ann idir Foras na Gaeilge agus na heagrais dheonacha leigheasta anois; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina leith.
[22574/05]
627 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will detail the circumstances under which a person (details supplied) was taken into custody and shortly afterwards transferred to the intensive care unit of a Dublin northside hospital.
[22876/05]
626 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the recent ruling of the High Court in a case taken by the Equality Authority that Portmarnock Golf Club can continue to exclude women as full members; if he will consider amending the Equal Status Act 2000 to deal with this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22875/05]
625 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to a warning (details supplied) that cocaine use among young persons had now reached higher levels than heroin ever had; the steps being taken to reduce the supply of cocaine; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22874/05]
578 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the Dublin City Childcare Committee is still awaiting additional funding under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 to fulfil its programme objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22041/05]
573 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals to review and reform the law relating to the protection of personal privacy; if a body has been set up to advise on the issue; if so, its terms of reference; if submissions will be invited; the timescale envisaged for deliberations and recommendations; if the introduction of the promised Defamation Bill will be tied to progress on privacy protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21925/05]
119 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is satisfied that the EU directive on environmental impact assessment is being applied properly in the case of road plans, particularly the requirement to consider alternatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22202/05]
164 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of cases of murder in which firearms were used in respect of each year from 1998 and to date in 2005; the number of such cases in which prosecutions for murder were initiated; the number of such cases in which convictions were secured; if he is satisfied with the level of detection and conviction in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21644/05]
54 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position with regard to plans to construct a new prison at Thornton, County Dublin; if the Irish Prison Service has taken possession of the site; the total estimated cost of the project; when construction will begin; if he will report on the circumstances leading up to the decision to select this site; when the project will be completed; the process of consultation there has been with local residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21421/05]
18 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the manner in which it is intended to monitor and ensure enforcement of the recent announcement regarding equal gender representation on State boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21473/05]