7 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in regard to the Private Residential Tenancies Board, responsibility for operational matters has been devolved to the Minister of State at his Department; if responsibility for appointments to the board under section 153 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 has been devolved to the Minister of State; if responsibility for appointments to the Dispute Resolution Committee under section 159 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 has been devolved to the Minister of State; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3897/09]
239 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if sport angling will receive a right of representation on the national inland fisheries board which is being established to replace the central and regional fisheries boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3751/09]
208 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the moneys to be paid to the Horse and Greyhound Fund in 2009 will be entirely derived from betting tax revenues collected for that purpose or if supplementary moneys will need to be paid from the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3750/09]
207 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if grants awarded under previous rounds of the sports capital programme will be granted in 2009; the number and total of the amounts that will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3748/09]
206 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will confirm if there will be a new round of the sports capital programme in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3747/09]
173 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if he will tackle the issue of tax exiles in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3755/09
172 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if changes are planned to the artists’ tax exemption scheme for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3754/09]
171 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance the number of artists availing of the artists’ tax exemption for each of the past ten years; the number of people and amount they claimed in tax exemption for 2008 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3753/09]
163 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance the percentage of national lottery revenue that is directed towards sport; if this money is ringfenced for sports; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3749/09]
307 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if there are grants a society (details supplied) in County Tipperary can avail of; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3029/09]
306 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the necessary funding will be provided to ensure the reopening of a community centre (details supplied) in Dublin 8 which has been closed since summer 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3027/09]
290 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when the next round of the ACCESS scheme will be announced in view of the fact that a theatre (detail supplied) in County Tipperary is in need of a refurbishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3028/09]
217 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason funding for a development (details supplied) in Dublin 12 was decommitted; when an appeal on this case will be heard; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3130/09]
191 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance the steps he has taken to ensure that tax exiles pay tax here; if he has examined tax systems in other countries that have been successful at tackling the tax exile phenomenon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3129/09]
190 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the protection of the banking system, as evidenced by the bank guarantees, recapitalisation and nationalisations, he will intervene to stop banks unfairly cutting overdraft facilities for small and medium enterprises; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is driving many otherwise going concerns into receivership as they do not have access to cash flows; his views on whether, in view of the blanket guarantee offered to banks, that they should be required to support businesses that have the ability to remain profitable and stimulate employment and trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3128/09]
165 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of an application for a promised extension at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 8; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2860/09]
62 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will clarify the way assessment of income on savings is determined and at the rates applicable for medical card applicants over 70; if the assessment is based on the previous tax year or on the income that a person would receive if the money were invested now; if a couple who are assessed separately for income tax purposes must make a joint declaration; the way these assessments will be determined when only one person is over 70; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[2907/09]
211 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the National Concert Hall redevelopment plan; if it is intended to go ahead with this on a public private partnership basis; the amount of money that will be required from the Exchequer; the amount that has been guaranteed; when he expects construction to begin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2482/09]
123 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the way his Department is promoting greater co-operation between the areas of arts, sport and tourism to mutually enhance future development of the areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2267/09]
214 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives and the Manuscripts Commission will be amalgamated; the amount he expects will be saved as a result of this amalgamation; his views on whether this amalgamation is feasible and practical; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2548/09]
95 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the expected level of public funding to the National Aquatic Centre in 2009; if more than €1.6 million in a subsidy will be required to sustain the centre in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2480/09]
93 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the area in which he expects to make cuts in the budget for his Department for 2009 in response to the need to rein in Exchequer spending; the cuts to be introduced in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2479/09]
1594 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding an application by a school (details supplied) in Dublin 12 for a building programme; when the school can expect to have approval from his Department to progress the works; his views on the fact that the pupils are being taught in prefabs in which the school caretaker is required to clear out drains whenever it rains in order that the prefabs are not flooded and damp; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1989/09]
1578 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science the average waiting time for a decision on a request for assessment of a pupil for learning support; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1825/09]
1572 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in Dublin 8 is graded as DEIS band two in view of the fact that all other primary schools in the locality have DEIS band one status; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the catchment is broadly the same for all of these schools and that the same social disadvantages apply to this school as to the other schools in the area; his views on whether it is fair or satisfactory that because pupils enrolled in this particular school they are being penalised through not having the same resources available to them as apply to the other neighbouring schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1751/09]
1571 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science if the funding and resources for second level schools in DEIS areas and the persons who provide the leaving certificate applied courses will be affected by budget 2009 announcements; if the full pupil teacher ratio and special allowances for these courses will remain in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1750/09]
1570 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science the changes in funding and resources that will apply to DEIS schools; if it is the case that schools with DEIS status will retain their full pupil teacher ratio as existed prior to budget 2009 announcements; if it is the case as described by him on a number of occasions that schools in DEIS areas will not be disadvantaged by the budget announcements and that all allowances previously available to the schools will be retained; if the DEIS schools will receive the full book grant as applied prior to the budget announcements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1749/09]
1132 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he plans to reopen the home energy saving scheme; the level of funding which will be available for this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1091/09]
1101 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will amend the planning legislation to support the homezones concept which has been introduced in a number of European cities and which strikes a balance between traffic and other street users; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1816/09]
1100 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of occasions on which section 35 amendment of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 and 2006 has been used by planning authorities since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1815/09]
910 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will roll out the dial-to-stop drug dealing initiative in the Dublin south central area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1814/09]
692 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of community gardaí located at stations (details supplied) in County Dublin in 2007 and at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1817/09]
482 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the average time for a reply to a parliamentary question to the Health Service Executive in 2007 and 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1824/09]
481 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of parliamentary questions directed to her Department for 2008 which have been subsequently redirected to the Health Service Executive for reply; the total number of questions submitted to her Department in 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1823/09]
480 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be reviewed; if funding will be supplied for a transfer to a local area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1820/09]
479 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive employs case managers to oversee the transfer of patients from a hospital to subsequent care, a non-acute area or in the home; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1813/09]
478 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children when an inspection system for public nursing homes comparable to that operating in private nursing homes will be in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1812/09]
477 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the average cost per year of the National Treatment Purchase Fund; her plans for the future of this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1811/09]
507 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will review the payment to chiropodists for persons with medical cards; the reason that these persons are being asked to subsidise the medical card payment to the chiropodist; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1990/09]
296 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance the steps which led to the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank; the reason that Anglo Irish could not be allowed to fail in view of the fact that a large majority of its loans was extended to developers, many in respect of developments not even occurring here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1829/09]
295 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance his plans to tighten up the regulatory environment in the banking sector here and the business sector as a whole; if he has plans to introduce harsher judicial sanctions for those found guilty of so-called white collar crime, including liability for losses being extended to include a person’s personal assets; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1828/09]
294 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if, under the new income levy scheme introduced in budget 2009, a married couple of pensionable age have the 1% levy taken after €20,000, the same limit as for a single person, and are then instructed to claim a rebate for the additional €20,000 allowance at the end of the year; the reason the scheme operates in this way; his views on whether this will increase the cost of administering the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1818/09]
203 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps a foreign national who is on a one year working visa can take if they lose their job; if they are entitled to apply for new employment up until their visa expires; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1821/09]
156 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will seek support for the establishment of a secretariat to assist and progress, from time to time, such proposals as may be made for the realisation of peace in the Middle East, and to work in the interim at retaining such momentum of dialogue between the parties as may emerge.
[1937/09]
129 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views, in view of the recent statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as to breaches of human rights by Israel and Hamas, on the suspension of the EU-Israel agreement and the delivery of humanitarian assistance through UNWRA directly to the citizens of Gaza until Hamas agrees to end rocket launches against civilian settlements.
[1936/09]
257 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on whether the decision to cut funding to the Irish Sports Council and to sport in general despite the fact that obesity levels here are quickly rising was a short-term money saving exercise which will have a significant impact on the nation’s health; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47580/08]
158 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the specific targets or commitments she has taken to tackle the rising levels of obesity here; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[47579/08]
157 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress on implementing the recommendations of the National Task Force on Obesity; the amount of funding that has been dedicated towards reducing obesity here; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[47578/08]
144 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress on implementing the recommendations of the National Task Force on Obesity; the amount of funding that has been dedicated towards reducing obesity here; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[47498/08]
143 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the specific targets or commitments she has taken to tackle the rising levels of obesity here; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[47497/08]