248 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will give a clear mandate to the national drugs strategy team and local drug task forces to re-embark on a strategic planning process that would allow local communities to develop an efficient, integrated and co-ordinated approach to the drugs crisis, with realistic funding available on a planned basis.
[39396/05]
249 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will implement the current round of the emerging needs fund in accordance with the criteria that were agreed and circulated in early 2005.
[39397/05]
247 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will substantially increase the funding available for the delivery of the emerging needs fund in view of the fact that the budget of €1 million is inadequate to deal with the drugs crisis in local communities.
[39395/05]
438 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason Educate Together received no State funding towards its learn together curriculum when protestant and catholic patron bodies receive 100% funding for entire religious education departments in all teacher-training colleges.
[38827/05]
439 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the fact that in the past five years Educate Together opened more schools than any other patron body, without assistance from the State, she will allow patron bodies to receive State aid in proportion to their activity in opening schools that are required and recognised by her Department.
[38828/05]
437 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if funding will be provided for Educate Together to enable it to fulfil its requirements as a registered patron for new schools, including writing, developing and implementing a patron’s curriculum to be delivered in each school.
[38826/05]
427 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether the economy of the Liberties area and local community projects in which the National College of Art and Design and its students are involved would suffer in the event that the National College of Art and Design relocated from Thomas Street, Dublin 8, to the Belfield campus of UCD; and her proposals to resolve this matter.
[38725/05]
426 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if the National College of Art and Design is to be relocated to the Belfield campus of UCD as an alternative to the redevelopment of the existing Thomas Street, Dublin 8, campus.
[38724/05]
258 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will make public the results of an investigation into a 2003 deal between a factory (details supplied) in County Limerick and the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, under which the factory in question did not have to notify the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board of breaches of its pollution control licence unless it was exceeded by 10%.
[38928/05]
167 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether making coagucheck 1v strips available free of cost to medical and long-term illness card holders, who could then test their blood at home, would reduce the need for hospital visits to the advantage of the health service, and possibly save lives.
[38857/05]
166 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will make coagucheck 1v strips available free of cost to medical and long-term illness card holders.
[38856/05]
81
D'fhiafraigh Mr. J. Higgins den Aire Airgeadais an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas iomlán ar gach gné den socrú idir an Stát, comhlacht príobháideach (sonraí tugtha) agus úinéirí talún maidir le riaradh an Bhlascaoid Mhóir i gCorca Dhuibhne.
[37193/05]
4 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach the nature of the dialogue that has taken place between the Government, churches and faith communities which he referred to in his reply to Questions Nos. 1 to 4 of 14 December 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36869/05]
225 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science in view of the enormous contribution of further education colleges to Irish education, in particular in giving individuals a second chance to attain educational qualifications, the action she will take to improve resources and structures for the further education sector through the implementation of her Department’s McIver Report.
[38569/05]
224 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason 74.29 additional teaching posts committed to further education colleges, referred to in Questions Nos. 397 and 399 of 29 November 2005 have been taken up out of the 96.25 made available.
[38568/05]
223 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason additional teaching posts committed to further education colleges, referred to in Questions Nos. 397 and 399 of 29 November 2005 are concessionary posts and not permanent posts.
[38567/05]
3 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on progress made by his Department in implementing the bilingual requirements of the Official Languages Act 2003.
[36867/05]
520 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the social housing budget will be increased in order to significantly increase the output of local authority housing units.
[38080/05]
519 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he is taking to provide move-on accommodation for families leaving emergency and bed and breakfast accommodation.
[38078/05]
518 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the practice of housing families with children in bed and breakfast accommodation other than for emergencies will end; and if he will ensure that their stay is no longer than one month before more appropriate accommodation is secured.
[38077/05]
517 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he will take to increase the amount of social housing provided under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
[38076/05]
516 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he is taking to cut the housing waiting lists.
[38075/05]
163 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if suitable housing and support services will be provided as part of a dedicated aftercare plan for young persons leaving care.
[38079/05]
3 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the special interdepartmental group which monitors the appointment of public relations consultants to Departments.
[32464/05]
11 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach the projected and actual cost of consultancy contracts commissioned by his Department since 1997; and the purpose of each assignment.
[36866/05]
399 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science when the 100 new teaching posts in the further education sector which she promised will come on stream during the 2005-06 academic year in view of the fact that to date in 2005 only 63 of these jobs have been created.
[36320/05]
198 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the mainstreaming of the 1,651 participants and 100 supervisors will commence on the community employment schemes which provide services to persons with disabilities by allocating an extra €11.2 million as outlined in the pre-budget submission of the Disability Federation of Ireland.
[36854/05]
257 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence if inquiries will be made with the Police Service of Northern Ireland if it is, or was at any time, in possession of a general purpose machine gun, which was stolen from Clancy Barracks, Dublin in January 1973.
[36080/05]
241 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15 will be permitted to receive a grant to enable them to study for a medical degree at Trinity College.
[35861/05]
229 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason he stated he is not in a position to grant an inquiry to a person (details supplied) concerning his treatment by the justice system due to the fact that he has the details of the case from a meeting of his official and the individual concerned.
[36082/05]
9 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on bilateral meetings he attended on the margins of the EU summit held in Britain on 27 October 2005.
[32462/05]
8 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the matters discussed and any conclusions reached at the EU summit held in Britain on 27 October 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32461/05]
467 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of the application for naturalisation for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15.
[35115/05]
374 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if searches have been carried out on US or CIA planes landing at Shannon Airport to independently ascertain whether they are transporting prisoners en route to detention camps.
[35543/05]
10 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach the matters and conclusions reached at his recent meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair.
[29000/05]
3 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach the facilities made available within his Department to cater for the child care needs of departmental staff.
[32460/05]
147 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will meet with representatives of groups (details supplied) to discuss their plans for progressing the construction of a women’s refuge in Blanchardstown.
[35061/05]
146 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the need for a women’s refuge in Dublin West, as expressed in the 1997 task force report on violence against women, he will contact the Departments of Health and Children and Justice, Equality and Law Reform with a view to getting agreement on an integrated, cross-departmental approach to co-ordinating the planning and funding mechanism to progress this project.
[35060/05]
145 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the cost cutting measures agreed by a group (details supplied) to its plan for a women’s refuge in Blanchardstown in response to Fingal County Council in 2004 and more recently to his Department, it would not be feasible to seek further savings.
[35059/05]
144 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether density guidelines and other factors used in assessing housing projects cannot be utilised to assess the design for a women’s refuge in Blanchardstown (details supplied).
[35058/05]
143 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if funding will be sanctioned for the plan to construct a women’s refuge in Blanchardstown (details supplied).
[35057/05]
29 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the recent trends in tourism that have led to a huge influx of tourism in Dublin and the decline in the regions, especially in the west; his views on whether the Transport 21 plan will only serve to increase this imbalance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34877/05]
553 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if at least €50 million will be made available to implement the recommendations of the McIver report regarding the PLC sector, none of which has been implemented to date in 2005 since the report’s publication in April 2003.
[34005/05]