131 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the technical reasons for the two Luas lines not being connected via an overground line between Westmoreland Street, College Green and Dawson Street; the most likely location for the proposed underground city centre metro to resurface and connect to the former Harcourt Street rail line; and if an overground city centre Luas extension from O’Connell Street to St. Stephen’s Green or Harcourt Street will lead to increased patronage on the Luas line from Tallaght even if not fully connected into the former Harcourt Street line due to the introduction of a metro.
[20555/04]
458 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his plans to avert the threatened closure of the Carmichael centre in Dublin.
[20784/04]
348 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount which has been spent to date on the Dunne inquiry; the further length of time it is expected to sit; the reason preventing its publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20151/04]
223 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the complaint made to the Irish embassy from the White House with respect to an interview (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20234/04]
162 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Defence the amount Ireland spends as a proportion of GDP on defence; the way in which this compares to the EU average spent on defence as a proportion of GDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20154/04]
143 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on the feedback from graduates in agricultural science at the view expressed by an assessment board, charged with recruiting for his Department, that an applicant with a PhD in agriculture did not show a sufficiently broad range of relevant knowledge of Irish agriculture; his further views on whether there is a danger that agricultural graduates are being lost to his Department, Teagasc and other relevant agencies because of flawed assessment procedures; and his plans to address the matter.
[20240/04]
126 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the Government’s position on the European Commission’s request for consultation prior to the reform of the sugar sector that is expected to take place under the Dutch presidency of the EU.
[20260/04]
3 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on whether the April 2004 overseas travel figures from the Central Statistics Office suggest that a gap is widening between persons who are leaving here to go abroad when compared with the relatively smaller increase in visitors to Ireland; the remedy he will put in place to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19926/04]
91 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Education and Science if he plans to increase the level of inservice training for the new syllabi for history and geography, which will be introduced in the 2004-05 school year for examination in the 2006 leaving certificate; his views on whether the current one day inservice training in the first term of the 2004-05 year is adequate; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19591/04]
405 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are very few prosecutions for dog dirt offences; if he intends to change legislation to deal with this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19550/04]
404 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce necessary legislative changes to ensure that persons struck down by illness may more easily obtain a postal ballot, for example, a measure whereby persons can be issued with a postal ballot if they decide to apply for same one month before an election; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19549/04]
325 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the assessment of the Medical Defence Union, MDU, that discussions with his Department have been frustrating and non productive and that a negotiated solution is now impossible; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19551/04]
189 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in Dublin 4 received no decision on its application for resource teaching hours for two persons; if his Department proposes a change of policy to allocate a support teacher for every 150 children on a school’s roll; and the way in which this would apply to this school that has around 100 pupils.
[19132/04]
26 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the progress that has been made on the proposed inclusion in the draft new television without frontiers directive to allow national Governments regulate the advertising inserted by outside satellite broadcasters specifically for that national advertising market.
[19312/04]
18 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has satisfied himself that there are no adverse health effects from mobile phones and mobile phone antennae; the way in which he intends to limit the use of mobile phones by children; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18481/04]
81 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee policy paper entitled A Development Co-operation Lens on Terrorism Prevention: Key Entry Points for Action and in particular to address the concerns of Comhlámh and other development NGOs that development assistance is in danger of being militarised towards a war on terror instead of a war on poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18852/04]
19 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the EU plans for beginning to normalise relations with Iraq once an interim Iraqi Government is put in place.
[18853/04]
97 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he intends to raise the issue of the killing of persons (details supplied) on 18 April 1980 by a person (details supplied) who currently resides in the United States; if he will take all necessary steps to ensure that this person is brought to justice; his views on whether it is unacceptable for the United States to harbour the killer of Irish soldiers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18930/04]
94 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Finance the legal basis for refusing permission to an organisation (details supplied) for a peace picnic in the Phoenix Park on 26 June 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18729/04]
68 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Finance the circumstances in which he made €1.5 million available to the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
[18712/04]
54 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of hours sleep received by the average person here; if this represents a decrease on previous generations; his views on the problem of sleep deficit; the action he intends to take to address this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18484/04]
46 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of anti-depressants prescribed each year here, in particular the number of anti-depressants prescribed under the medical card; if he intends to introduce measures to decrease the number of anti-depressants given out to persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18485/04]
105 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether funding is now essential for the European Youth Parliament; if such funding will be forthcoming; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18228/04]
53 Mr. Gormley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action she intends to take on foot of the Amnesty International report on the domestic arms trade here.
[18122/04]
106 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on the meeting of Defence Ministers of 17 May 2004 in the framework of the General Affairs and External Relations Council; the subjects discussed and decisions taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17912/04]
62 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Defence if Ireland has agreed to take part in the newly established EU armaments agency; if so, when this decision was taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17913/04]
493 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to an upsurge in crime in the Portobello area; the action the Garda has taken with regard to same; the further action he intends to take; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17407/04]
386 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the action a person can take to have a significant cluster of cancer in their area investigated; the details of the procedure and the agencies involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17408/04]
364 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason that some persons have waited as long as four years for a decision from the Adoption Board before being refused on the grounds of age; the details of the age criteria which apply; and if he will undertake a full examination of the methods of the Adoption Board with a view to making significant changes to procedures to avoid unnecessary delays which may cause hurt for future prospective parents.
[17290/04]
79 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the recent interactions he or his Department has had with Franz Fischler, EU Commissioner, on the subject of rural development.
[16835/04]
7 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his Department has had ongoing contact or interaction with groups seeking to develop the concept of sustainable villages.
[16836/04]
80 Mr. Gormley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she intends to introduce legislation to make it easier for businesses, particularly small businesses and self employed persons, to prosecute those who do not pay their bills on time as it currently makes no financial sense to go to court; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[16698/04]
24 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the fact that the building of municipal incinerators will increase the level of dioxins here, which are cancer causing, in view of the largest amount of airborne dioxins in Denmark comes from incinerators; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15717/04]
19 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the remaining river basin district plans, including the cross-Border basins, are on course for implementation in 2004 as stated in the report, Ireland’s Environment 2004.
[16611/04]
333 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the increasing number of break-ins in the Kenilworth Lane area; his plans with regard to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16535/04]
280 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason that children with learning difficulties and in need of speech and language therapy have not received any therapy for more than a year; and the reason that their parents have now been informed that those children, who need the therapy at a vital stage of their lives, are not on a waiting list.
[16532/04]
279 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the figures available for ulcerative colitis for the age group of 16 to 25 for the years 2002 and 2003; the figures for the age group of 16 to 25 for the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 for Crohn’s disease; if an increase has been noted; the steps he intends to take to ensure that patients are entitled to the long-term illness payment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16531/04]
120 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the rights and obligations of the felling licence at Derrybrien, issued to Coillte in May 2003, have now transferred to Saorgus Energy, which is the current landowner as of June 2003; the public tender process by which the sale of the public land in question took place; the price the State, through Coillte, received for that land; and if he will request the forest service to reopen the licence process, and ensure that the legal requirements as regards the EIS are properly and completely fulfilled, including a proper public consultation process.
[16177/04]
55 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to improve the gymnasium facilities in the Garda Training College, Templemore.
[16351/04]
147 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if the health boards, when submitting their salary costings for child care workers, seek finance for this work at the pay scales published by his Department; if they seek finance based on the rates of the Department of Education and Science; and if they seek finance at the Department of Education and Science rates, the way in which it is justified and approved by him when his Department places a much higher value on the work.
[16003/04]
139 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children how Ireland compares to other countries on cancers caused by radon gas; and the steps his Department is taking to ensure that such cancers are reduced.
[15890/04]
82 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether it will be possible to continue Luas line B from St. Stephen’s Green down Dawson Street, College Green and Westmoreland Street to link up with Luas line A running from Tallaght to Connolly Station; the rate of reduction in traffic levels in College Green over the past five years due to the traffic restrictions that have been put in place on traffic coming from George’s Street, Dawson Street, Pearse Street and O’Connell Street onto the green; and if such a reduction in traffic in the area will make it easier to run the Luas overground in the city centre.
[15944/04]
55 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Transport when he expects to bring the business case proposal for the first stage of the Dublin metro to Cabinet for a decision.
[15945/04]
70 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children when the new facility at the Meath Hospital will be fully operational; the number of general practitioners who will operate the facility; and if there will be a dispensing pharmacy at the facility.
[15714/04]
49 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied) has not yet received a response to their 50 reasons against fluoridation despite repeated assurances that this will be done; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15713/04]
33 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied), who was invited by the fluoridation forum to make a submission, has not yet received a response to his 50 reasons against fluoridation despite repeated assurances that this will be done; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15889/04]
376 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps an ordinary citizen can take to ensure that their water supplies are safe to drink; the person they should contact to have the water tested; if there is a cost attached; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15725/04]
267 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if he or any member of staff in his Department has been lobbied by the Irish Society for Autism for support in resisting pressure from the South Western Area Health Board.
[15256/04]
80 Mr. Gormley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the safeguards she has implemented to ensure that Irish companies and corporations doing business in China do not violate human rights in that country.
[15253/04]
207 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the latest situation with regard to the case of a person (details supplied) and if his attention has been drawn to the results of a psychological assessment which showed them to be vulnerable and traumatised.
[15082/04]