112 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce a comprehensive graduate internship programme as advocated by the Union of Students in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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105 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the Forfás report on State owned enterprises; his further views regarding semi-State major utilities; if he will ensure that these assets will not be sold off; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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84 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will confirm the date on which the REFIT price recently announced for miscanthus will be implemented; if he will confirm that the 9.5 cent price is the full tariff to be paid to suppliers and farmers or if it includes the capital costs of the power stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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403 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Social Protection the average time taken in 2010 to date to process an application for carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit; the percentage of applications that were refused on first application for each; the percentage of refused applications that have been appealed; the percentage that were allowed on appeal; the time it takes to process an appeal; if he will indicate the shortest time within which an appeal was processed; the longest time within which an appeal has been processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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334 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform if he will review the case of a family (details supplied) who are seeking leave to remain here on humanitarian grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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326 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform if he will address the concerns of a person (details supplied) regarding the dangers posed by cyclists on our roads, and the lack of controls and penalties in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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291 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans that are in place for the existing children’s hospitals in the Dublin area following the provision of the new tertiary children’s hospital; if services will continue to be provided at the existing hospitals; if so, the nature of these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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92 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will ensure that funding is kept in place for a home help service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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62 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance in view of the continuing negative effect of the air travel tax on tourist numbers, airlines and the public finances, the action she has taken to progress the removal or significant reduction of the air travel tax, to help promote Ireland as a potential destination for tourists; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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39 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport in view of the costs to the publicly funded Irish Sports Council of the legal costs it incurred by the action taken by the former chairperson of Athletics Ireland, if she is now willing to make it a condition of State funding that all governing bodies be required to sign up to a dispute resolution service such as the Just Sport Ireland initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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2 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport in view of the revelations arising from the case taken against the Irish Sports Council, by the former chairperson of Athletics Ireland, if she has, or plans to commission an independent review of this issue; if she is satisfied that the report produced by the Irish Sports Council adequately reflects the findings of the courts; if she is aware of other issues surrounding sports bodies which receive funding from the Irish Sports Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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249 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation if he will ensure that a redundancy payment is now processed in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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248 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation if he will ensure that a person [details supplied] receives the payments he is due from his employment as determined by the Employment Appeals Tribunal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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111 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation the latest position regarding his discussions with the main banks to ensure that credit is made available to all businesses and particularly to small and medium sized enterprises; when he last met the banks to discuss these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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104 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation when the promised Foreign Trade Council will be established; the proposed membership and terms of reference of the council; the staffing and resources that will be allocated to the council; the annual estimated budget for the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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531 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation if due diligence of private contractors’ compliance with the Payment of Wages Act 1991 is undertaken by the Government when awarding public contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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409 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Social Protection if a disability payment will be put in place for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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248 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if persons attending psychiatric clinics at their local health centres will no longer be entitled to a free prescription for their necessary medication; if local pharmacies will no longer provide this medication free of charge; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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123 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the sentencing of an Iranian Internet blogger (details supplied) to 19 years in prison; and if Ireland has condemned such restrictions on free speech.
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103 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the situation regarding patients attending psychiatric clinics at their local health centres in relation to their entitlement to free prescription for their essential medication; if local pharmacies will continue to provide this medication free of charge; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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32 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform his plans to increase investment in the probation service and enhance diversion programmes in respect of anti-social behaviour and minor public order offences; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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27 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the latest information available to him regarding the progress made by the Smithwick tribunal established by resolution of the Oireachtas in March 2005; when the tribunal intends to commence public hearings; the evidence that has been taken in public; if the tribunal has secured the co-operation of all potential witnesses, particularly those from outside the jurisdiction; if the tribunal intends to publish any interim report on its progress since 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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274 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Social Protection if a user friendly system can be set up for persons calling the social welfare appeals office (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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204 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding plans for the proposed children’s hospital at the Mater site; if plans have been submitted to An Bord Pleanála; the discussions that have been held with An Bord Pleanála; if she is satisfied that despite the concerns expressed by a number of paediatric consultants, the proposed site is the most appropriate and in the best interest of children; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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194 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will address the concerns of a person [details supplied] in respect of the assessment procedures in place for foster parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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136 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the proposals of an airline (details supplied) for doubling its present volume of passenger traffic at Cork and Shannon airports within five years; if his further attention has been drawn to the airline’s proposals for increasing its present volume of traffic at Dublin Airport by more than 50% within five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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132 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Transport the quantity of exports which were transported through each of the main ports for each of the past ten years; the quantity of imports for each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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356 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the money she contributes towards the running of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day parade each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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355 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport her views on a minimum expenditure model of works to open the two closed floors of the Natural History Museum as an interim measure until such time as funding is available to complete the redevelopment of the museum; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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351 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport if she will provide funding for a minimum expenditure model of works to open the two closed floors of the Natural History Museum as an interim measure until such time as funding is available to complete the redevelopment of the museum; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[34814/10]
204 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children her views on the fact that a number of children will not be able to avail of the free preschool year because of their age, while at the same time the same children will be accepted into junior infants in a national school; her proposals to remove the discriminatory age requirements from the application of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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203 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of queries received by her in relation to the eligibility of a child to avail of the free preschool year arising from their age; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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202 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children availing of the free preschool year scheme; the number of children who had signed up but later dropped out of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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201 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will reconsider the conditions of the free preschool year, where many parents are unable to avail of the scheme because of the age requirement; if her attention has been drawn to the discriminatory nature of the scheme, whereby some children attending a preschool year are entitled to breakfasts or lunches, while others within the same playgroup are not entitled; the difficulties that this presents at a practical level for the management of the playschool; the potential discriminatory nature of the scheme if applied as above; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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141 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the cycle to work scheme does not allow for participants to purchase a child helmet or child seat and that this severely restricts the ability of parents to transport their child to school or child-care on their way to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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140 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons who do not have a yearly pension income of at least €12,700 are only allowed on maturity of their pension fund, to withdraw 25% of the full amount of the fund in a tax free lump sum and if they do not want to invest the balance of the fund in an annuity, that they are obliged to place the next €63,500 of their pension in either an annuity or an approved minimum retirement fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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139 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons over 70 years who no longer qualify under the revised terms for medical cards and who voluntarily return their medical cards are liable to pay the income levy on their occupational pensions; if he will provide the number of persons in this category who returned their medical cards; the number of those in this category who might have been expected to return their cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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117 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide free university places for the long-term unemployed to allow them to retrain and re-enter the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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35 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the current waiting times for those persons applying for medical cards or general practitioner only cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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87 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount of funding allocated under the fair deal scheme per county; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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38 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance if he envisages a role for the investment on a commercial basis, of funds in the National Pensions Reserve Fund in infrastructure projects here; if this will require amending legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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25 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance the steps he and the National Asset Management Agency have taken to ensure that NAMA’s debtors do not, or have not, transferred assets offshore, to friends and family or otherwise potentially beyond the reach of being recouped by NAMA; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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851 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Transport if all taxi drivers, regardless of the length of time for which they have been granted a licence, will have to undertake the skills test as required by the Taxi Regulator; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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747 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if she has plans to set up local services as part of the national foot screening programme for diabetics (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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327 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she plans to develop a language policy to ensure that our tourism industry takes account of the global tourism trends for the 21st century which highlight strong tourism growth in non-traditional markets; if she accepts that it is vital for Ireland to be at a competitive advantage in terms of the services provided to foreign tourists; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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345 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if an investigation is being carried out by his Department into a decision taken by a local authority (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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263 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport her views on amending the governing act of the Irish Film Board to extend the remit of the board to the computer game industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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262 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the location of the 17 sports inclusion disability officers; the reason that 15 local sports partnerships do not have a SIDO: the estimated cost of extending the SIDO network to every local sports partnership; if it is planned to fund this network into 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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188 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to reports that private chiropody clinics in the Dublin area are charging patients with chiropody cards fees of €15 and more for attending these clinics in view of the fact that the Health Service Executive has reduced the amount it pays the clinics for treating patients with the card; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
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