28 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on his statement of 18 November 2008 that the number of inspections has increased to 14,008 in view of the fact this figure includes re-inspection of the same premises.
[43055/08]
42 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill will be passed into law by the end of this session in order to meet the projected target of 1 February 2009 for the implementation of the standards reform package.
[43054/08]
494 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, further to Parliamentary Question No. 480 of 18 November 2008, if he plans to launch a national debate on the merits and dangers surrounding nuclear power; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42708/08]
479 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the proposals he has put forward to achieve the 6% cut in carbon emissions for 2008 and 2009; the amount each carbon savings measure is expected to make towards this 6% goal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42707/08]
396 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when he will publish the report to analyse and evaluate the potential economic benefits to Ireland in the sporting, business and tourism areas from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[42296/08]
160 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason the National Consumer Agency does not address the issue of the serious anomalies between sterling prices and euro prices for goods available in shops here; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[42724/08]
96 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the cost of the yearly flu vaccination for Health Service Executive staff; the rate of uptake for this staff vaccination; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[42041/08]
63 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people who were employed on a community employment scheme in each of the past three years; the percentage figure of those who have progressed to full-time employment from the community employment scheme in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[42040/08]
40 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will make a statement on her Department’s Estimate for 2009; and the main areas where savings will be made.
[41754/08]
19 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number, in respect of her and of her Ministers of State, the constituency office and the private office, of staff employed, broken down by grade and the cost of each office in terms of salaries and expenses for 2007 and the projected costs for 2008; if there will be a reduction in staffing levels in these offices, arising from the requirement to effect a 3% reduction in salary costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[41753/08]
226 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans for giving approval in respect of the building of new schools in 2009; when he will inform interested applicants about the status of their applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41738/08]
171 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on lowering the matching funding threshold for sports clubs and organisations in CLÁR and RAPID areas from the 10% requirement to 5% under the sports capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41677/08]
170 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made towards implementing the recommendation of the Arts and Education Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41676/08]
106 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he is satisfied with the support given to amateur boxing clubs in view of the success achieved by our boxers at the Olympics over many years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41136/08]
74 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when the review of the performance of athletes and the preparation for the Beijing Olympics will be completed; when he plans to publish this review; when a new high performance strategy for London 2012 will be initiated; if there is funding for a new round of this programme in budget 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41675/08]
72 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress of the national sports campus; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41674/08]
500 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is intended to require all meat products here to have country of origin labelling; if this labelling will take account of the issues of substantive transformation; if there is a possibility such a move could be ruled inadmissible by the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40789/08]
480 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has plans to begin a national debate on our energy dependence on foreign oil gas that comes from volatile areas of the globe; if there is a commitment within his Department towards achieving energy independence as much as is feasible; if there are plans to launch a national debate on the merits and dangers surrounding nuclear power; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40788/08]
479 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether the money which will be spent on carbon credits as part of our obligations under the Kyoto Treaty would be better spent on tax breaks for clean energy, a national insulation scheme, the introduction of smart metering across the nation and the provision of more energy sinks such as that currently operating at Turlough Hill County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40787/08]
457 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views, in view of the failure to achieve a 3% reduction in the carbon emissions here, on whether a 3% reduction is achievable for the forthcoming years; the new initiatives he plans to take to achieve this goal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40786/08]
277 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average cost to the State per year for each prisoner incarcerated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40784/08]
276 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners incarcerated here; the number of prison drug treatment places available; the number of prisoners enrolled in education programmes; the number of prisoners incarcerated for sexual offences; the number of places available for rehabilitation of sexual offenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40783/08]
275 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the recent letter from the Garda Commissioner to mobile phone operators instructing them to retain the Internet browsing of their customers; his views on whether this infringes on a citizen’s civil liberties; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40782/08]
191 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if a couple, both over 70 years, who have savings of slightly more than €70,000 will lose their entitlement to their medical cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40591/08]
117 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the action plan for the future of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht will be presented to Government, approved and published before the Christmas 2008 recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40960/08]
105 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the 20 year strategy for the Irish language will be presented to Government, approved and published before the Christmas 2008 recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40959/08]
382 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when he plans to launch the National Drugs Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40785/08]
109 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of the 300 primary care teams promised in the primary care strategy that have been delivered; if she still intends to promote the primary care strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40367/08]
108 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there are a number of recently graduated physiotherapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists who are unable to secure employment due to the Health Service Executive recruitment freeze and the stalling of the primary care strategy, that a significant increase in college places for these courses was recommended by the Bacon report and subsequently approved and that the current employment situation is bleak for recently graduate physiotherapists, many of whom are forced to emigrate to seek employment in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40366/08]
76 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action he will take arising from the first interim report of the Inspector of Prisons in which he expressed concern at excessive overcrowding in prisons and particularly in regard to serious shortcomings at Loughan House, County Cavan; the steps he will take to deal with the issues raised by the inspector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40194/08]
71 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that garda patrol cars were restricted at Hallowe’en in parts of Dublin because of inadequate resourcing of the radio control system; the reason this happened; the steps that will be taken to ensure that gardaí are not again left vulnerable in this way; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40197/08]
266 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science when a school (details supplied) in Dublin 12 will receive the promised funding for the leaving certificate technology programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[40103/08]
185 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive has engaged with a group (details supplied) and community pharmacists on the reform of the GMS scheme and a new pharmacy contract; if the HSE has repaid the arrears outstanding to the pharmacists; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[40104/08]
115 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Transport when he will publish his report on the future of Dublin Port; what he intends to recommend for the future location and size of Dublin Port; if any of the measures in the report will require new legislation; if he is liaising with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on proposals for Dublin Port and bay; if he has made or will be making a submission on the proposed reclamation of 21 hectares at Dublin Port; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39865/08]
124 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Transport when he plans to introduce legislation to facilitate the full operation of the graduated driver licensing scheme; the measures this legislation will contain; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39846/08]
642 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to replace the service formerly provided by the Centre for Talented Youth, in view of the fact that his Department’s grant for this service has been withdrawn; his views on whether children who availed of this facility will suffer on account of its withdrawal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39782/08]
533 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce legislation to enable planning permission to be refused when an applicant is considered in breach of planning legislation; if he will legislate to allow the same conditions to apply as for a breach of planning permission; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39785/08]
337 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Transport if research has been conducted by his Department into a pay per use scheme for road users to replace car tax and VRT; his views on whether such a scheme is feasible here and if so, when; his further views on whether such a scheme could be operated on a revenue neutral basis, which also took social factors and emissions into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39786/08]
336 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Transport when he expects to publish the national cycling policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39784/08]
199 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people on community employment schemes who have progressed to full time work at the end of their scheme in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[39783/08]
112 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the proposals she has made to Government to merge the employment services section of FÁS with her Department.
[39512/08]
68 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if he will explain the rationale for changing payment dates with respect to corporation tax and capital gains tax; the expected impact of these measures on Government cashflow in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38837/08]
20 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if the letters given by him to certain credit institutions on 30 September 2008, referred to by him in Dáil Éireann on 17 September 2008, were in identical terms as regards each such institution; if those letters remain in effect or have been withdrawn; if he will publish those letters; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38836/08]
247 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on establishing a Dublin divisional bike theft unit to attempt to reduce the number of bicycles which are stolen in the capital each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38609/08]
246 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of bicycles reported stolen to the Garda in 2007; the number of bicycles recovered by the Garda; the number of persons prosecuted for stealing bicycles in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38608/08]
143 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the economic and human siege of Gaza constitutes collective punishment on the part of Israel; and the proposals he has to end this situation.
[38374/08]
127 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether a monitoring group should be established to review compliance with the human rights clauses in the existing co-operation agreement between the EU and Israel and that such a group should report before the end of the current French Presidency of the EU and make recommendations on the basis of its findings.
[38373/08]
300 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the headline crime statistics for each year since 2004 to date in 2008 in respect of Garda stations located within Dublin south central electoral area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38117/08]
130 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason almost seven years after the programme for Government committed to achieve pupil teacher ratios of 20:1, this aim has not been achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38002/08]
124 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason the education budget has not been increased in budget 2009, particularly when the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2008 has shown that education spending decreased by 0.5% of GDP in the period 1995 to 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38005/08]