368 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if a special school (details supplied) in County Donegal will be excused from its water charges in view of the fact that the school’s resources are not sufficient to meet this cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[45264/08]
365 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will encourage his Ministerial counterpart at Stormont to commit to jointly funding the North/South Confederation of Councillors in view of the fact that the NSCC was forced to let go two staff in summer 2008 due to a lack of funding from the Northern Ireland Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[45130/08]
290 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will immediately make a decision in relation to the status of persons (details supplied) in County Meath who have been living in Mosney Accommodation Centre in view of the fact that the person’s son is paying full international college fees at Letterkenny Institute of Technology, County Donegal, despite the fact that he completed his junior certificate and leaving certificate here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[45267/08]
289 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will provide a person (details supplied) with a visa extension in view of the fact that the person suffers from diabetes and severe arthritis and is not in a condition to live without their daughter, who lives here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[45266/08]
265 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an exemption for the owners of eight to 16 seater school buses from the €2,000 charge for tachographs; if he accepts that some Irish school buses have fewer than 18 seats; his views on whether the charge is unfair to school transport providers with several fewer-than-18 seater buses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[45269/08]
256 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport the stage the decision-making process relating to the futures of Malin Head and Valentia Coast Guard stations is at.
[44718/08]
255 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport if he has made a decision on the futures of Malin Head and Valentia Coast Guard stations; the nature of this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[44717/08]
254 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding Malin Head Coast Guard station; if he will downgrade the Coast Guard services currently provided from the station; if he will upgrade the technology and infrastructure at the Coast Guard station; if he will build a new Coast Guard station at a new venue on the Irish coast; if he will provide Coast Guard services from the existing Coast Guard stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[44693/08]
253 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport if he will guarantee that Shannon is no longer being considered as a possible site for a new Coast Guard station.
[44692/08]
231 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of times she has met with her Northern Ireland ministerial counterpart Michael McGimpsey in 2008 to discuss the integration of health services on this island; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[45037/08]
166 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether the Irish and British Governments’ diverging indirect taxation strategies contradict the Hain-Ahern 2006 assertion that companies should be encouraged to redesign logistical strategies and treat Ireland as one commercial zone rather than two separate entities.
[45035/08]
145 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of times she has met with Minister Arlene Foster in 2008 to discuss the integration of the two commercial zones on this island; her views on the Hain-Ahern 2006 assertion that companies should be encouraged to redesign logistical strategies and treat Ireland as one commercial zone rather than two separate entities; the action her Department has taken in 2008 to progress Strand II of the Good Friday Agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[45036/08]
419 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will clarify his position in relation to the request by the polyvalent sector to be allocated an increased share of the Irish mackerel quota.
[43855/08]
396 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of his declaration of 19 November 2008 that his Department has not prepared an estimated cost to the State of the extension of the farm waste management scheme, he will provide financial explanations for his refusal to extend the scheme; his views on whether in principle an extension of the scheme would prevent job losses in the agricultural construction sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[43437/08]
356 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of public money that was spent annually on advanced driving courses for temporary workers by local authorities here between 1997 and 2007; if he will provide this information in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[43435/08]
269 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of minors detained in juvenile detention centres here; the number of minors who were detained in juvenile detention centres here in 2007; the cost to the State of this detention in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[43434/08]
156 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Finance the buildings in County Donegal owned by the State which are vacant; and when these buildings were vacated.
[43433/08]
155 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Finance if he will take immediate action to address the competitive disadvantage which Border businesses are relative to businesses in Northern Ireland.
[43432/08]
138 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the initiatives she has undertaken since her appointment to support Border businesses in this State who are at a competitive disadvantage because of the weakness of sterling, and because of the relatively low VAT rate there.
[43436/08]
85 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount his Department has spent on consultants, forums, working groups and consultation documents in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[43720/08]
39 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has plans to reform financing of local fire services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[43169/08]
562 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) has lost its disadvantaged area status; if he will reverse this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42383/08]
561 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount of State money that has been spent on State examinations for special centres on an annual basis since 1997; and the amount of money that has been spent in this respect in County Donegal.
[42382/08]
515 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will issue a lease to Donegal County Council to enable the breakwater project at Buncrana to proceed; when he will do this; and if he will ensure that the money which is in place for this project will be secured beyond 28 November 2008 until spring 2009 in view of the fact that the lease has not yet come through to enable Donegal County Council to proceed with the breakwater project.
[42643/08]
509 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason for the delay in forwarding the previous forestry grant since 4 April 2008; the counties which have been paid to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42381/08]
485 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the funding for the energy saving upgrades at a heritage centre (details supplied) in County Donegal which was promised in 2007, will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42700/08]
386 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if it is acceptable, in the context of the Good Friday Agreement, that the half-mile ferry crossing from Greencastle, County Donegal, to Magilligan, County Derry, is classed as an international crossing; his views regarding the fact that users of this ferry are subjected to greater scrutiny that those who cross the Border by road; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42385/08]
243 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children if disabled people without personal assistance have been placed on a second waiting list due to the diversion of this €38 million.
[42388/08]
242 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason €38 million has been diverted from the disability budget since January 2007; the location this money was spent in other areas of the health service; the cutbacks that were made in the disability budget because of this €38 million diminution; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[42387/08]
241 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will provide a full-time neurology service to County Donegal; if there is a critical number of neurological patients in the county; if there is a disproportionate number of neurological patients on the Inishowen peninsula; if a full-time neurology service in Letterkenny would be more useful to Inishowen and Donegal patients than the service in Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[42386/08]
183 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Finance the amount of revenue Government gains from increasing the taxi fare introduced by the regulator, based on the current number of taxis available.
[42384/08]
79 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will proceed with the introduction of the cervical cancer vaccination programme in view of the fact that it was recommended by the national immunisation advisory board and the Health Information and Quality Authority, who estimate that 52 deaths per annum could be averted by its use; the reason she is no longer confident that the Health Service Executive could procure this vaccine on a cost effective basis; the reason the figure of €100 per vaccine is costed by HIQA yet newspaper reports indicate a cost of €39 per dose in Portugal; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[42536/08]
9 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the process used to select the new chair of the board of Enterprise Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41932/08]
234 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Science the nature of the cutbacks in funding in respect of the school for gifted children at Dublin City University.
[41816/08]
233 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will reassess the case of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41801/08]
211 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will re-visit his decision to refuse to extend the farm waste management scheme in view of the need to prolong existing employment levels in the construction sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41815/08]
210 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the cost to the State of an extension of the farm waste management scheme to June 2008.
[41808/08]
209 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his plans for the roll-out of the €30 million maintenance grant for ewes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41798/08]
200 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when tenders for the national roll-out of broadband will be decided.
[41810/08]
199 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action he is taking to hasten the provision of broadband to Bredagh Glen, Moville, County Donegal; his views on whether people living in that area are being put at a competitive disadvantage in terms of establishing or conducting business and that the youth of Moville are at an educational disadvantage relative to youths living in areas serviced by broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41805/08]
196 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount local Government funding will be reduced by on a county basis in tabular form.
[41804/08]
169 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts made to encourage members of the Democratic Unionist Party and the Ulster Unionist Party to attend meetings of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41818/08]
151 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport if he will facilitate a compromise between the HMRC and a transport company (details supplied) in County Donegal in respect of that company’s historic PAYE and NIC debts in view of the fact that the company is unable to pay these debts and in view of the fact that the company will fold if a compromise is not reached, which will result in the loss of 100 jobs in the north-west; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41811/08]
148 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will provide a national diabetic retinopathy detection programme; her views on whether there is a need for a national diabetic retinopathy programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41812/08]
146 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount of money that was spent on the advertisement of the cervical cancer vaccination programme; the number of civil servants who worked on the creation and formulation of the cervical vaccination programme during 2008; the grades of these civil servants; her views on whether the cervical vaccination programme would have saved lives in the future; and if she will provide an “I agree” or an “I disagree” answer to the fourth section of this question.
[41807/08]
145 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will enumerate the Health Service Executive’s annual rental expenditure on leased and rented property since 2003 to date in 2008 on a county basis in tabular form.
[41803/08]
147 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will commit to a date for the roll-out of the BreastCheck programme in County Donegal.
[41809/08]
126 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Finance the amount the State has spent annually over the course of the past five years on the renting and leasing of property.
[41813/08]
125 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide the addresses of every disused, uninhabited, and derelict State building here; the amount the maintenance and security of these premises has cost the State in the past five years; and if he will present his answer in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41802/08]
124 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a list of all the disused, vacant, derelict, and unoccupied State buildings here; the amount each of these buildings cost the State in 2007 in terms of maintenance, heating, and security; if he will provide this information in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41799/08]