14 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the consequences of the recent supplementary budget in terms of commitments to overseas development aid; if the cuts to the ODA budget are disproportionate in his view, particularly in view of budget 2009, the effects of which were felt particularly heavily in the overseas aid area.
[15360/09]
2 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way the cuts of €100 million on top of the 17% cut previously made will impact on the projects funded by his Department in general and in the bilateral countries in particular.
[15994/09]
661 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding suppression of special classes for children with mild general learning disabilities due to temporary and unpredictable drops in enrolment levels in DEIS band one urban schools with transient student populations, in view of the benefits such a programme provides for at-risk students that might otherwise go unserved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15226/09]
527 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will reconsider the decision to suspend the community supports for older people programme; the reason this decision was taken in the first instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15430/09]
502 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his position on the call for an immediate arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups to be in force until such time as there is no longer a threat that such arms can be used to commit serious violations of international law.
[15513/09]
496 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his view on the position regarding treatment of the Roma in Europe and in Serbia, in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15227/09]
494 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the cuts in the Irish Aid and Overseas Development Aid budgets following the budget of 7 April 2009; the locations at which these cuts were made; and the areas in the aid budget.
[15150/09]
264 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of calls for private ambulances processed on behalf of privately insured patients in Health Service Executive facilities through ambulance control rooms in the mid-western, western and north western regions of the national ambulance service, and to which private ambulance companies these were allocated; the number of calls to each company for the period January 2007 to 1 April 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[15224/09]
239 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding inter-country adoption, in particular such adoptions between Ireland and Vietnam; the status of the agreement between the two countries; the status of persons who had been on the list of adoption before the initial agreement was terminated; the position in this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[15309/09]
140 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the actions he has taken in response to the Coulter report on the operation of the family courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15584/09]
111 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the discussions he has had with the financial institutions to prevent so-called tiger robberies; if new security measures have been agreed to ensure the safety of staff and the security of money; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14249/09]
147 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the position regarding a school (details supplied); the position regarding its prospects of securing funding in the next public private partnership bundle in order that it may proceed without delay to tender, full planning permission and construction stages; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14986/09]
310 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the proposed formation of a new fishery authority from 1 August 2009, to be called inland fisheries Ireland; the discussions there have been with anglers with regard to this body; if he shares the view which has been expressed that, rather than a new authority, the proper financing of the present system would be more useful; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14570/09]
48 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Transport his views on the development of Luas systems for Cork, Galway and Limerick; the stage plans are at for these three infrastructure projects; if he has met local advocates of the three proposed light rail systems; if he will report on proposals for bus rapid transit systems for Cork, Galway and Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13685/09]
11 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if he will introduce measures to revitalise rail freight here in view of the fact that just approximately 1% of imported goods are transported by rail; his views on introducing an incentive such as a rail freight subsidy on a per tonne basis for materials that are transferred from existing road freight onto rail freight; if he has examined the programme of the Scottish Executive to encourage rail freight; his views on emulating same; the amount of the rail network here currently electrified; the measures he plans to introduce to develop a more widely electrified rail network; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13686/09]
77 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of money paid out in statutory redundancy payment in respect of each year from 2002 to 2008 and the projected figure for 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13349/09]
72 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of redundancies notified to her Department in respect of each year from 2002 to date in 2009; the number of projected redundancies for 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13348/09]
339 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the overall expenditure made in respect of aid activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the years 2008 and 2009.
[12854/09]
105 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children the most recent figures for children diagnosed with ADHD per county; the cost of administering appropriate medications to those children; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13067/09]
84 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children the position in terms of step-down beds being made available in the major urban centres in order that patients in acute hospitals who are ready to be discharged to such beds can be transferred relieving pressure on the accident and emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13070/09]
89 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the research that has been carried out over the past ten years by his Department on the extent and breakdown of wealth, as opposed to income here; the findings of such research; if he will make these findings available; the changes in findings and figures on a year to year basis over this ten year period; if it is proposed that such research or new research in this area be used in order to create an equitable system of taxation in the 7 April 2009 budget; his views on the taxing of wealth; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12670/09]
59 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if and when he will table further proposals with respect to the capitalisation and stabilisation of the credit institutions covered by the bank guarantee scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12329/09]
26 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the funding difficulties facing Irish small and medium enterprises; the way these difficulties are evolving; the steps he is taking to ease them; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12330/09]
51 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question 524 of 10 March 2009 the reason boards of management are responsible for acquiring temporary school accommodation and signing such contracts, but are barred by his Department from taking out mortgages in order to build permanent accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12265/09]
1050 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the position on the threatened withdrawal of home-school community liaison services; and if in view of the reassessment of national expenditure, he is able to offer assurances that these services will not be reduced or eliminated.
[11188/09]
1049 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide further detail on a matter first raised on 18 December 2007 regarding the constitutionality of forcing some children to attend private schools; and if the answer supplied at that time still holds.
[11187/09]
888 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position on the unification of the Clifden water supply County Galway, into a fully treated system, in view of the fact that the supply is composed of two sources, one treated, and one untreated; if he will offer assurances that the planned improvements included in the water services investment programme 2007-2009 will not be reduced or eliminated, and, further in view of the potential impact of a boil water notice on tourism and the region, he will indicate if he is willing to recommend fast-tracking this project through his Department’s approval system.
[11855/09]
887 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the Clifden sewage treatment plant County Galway in view of the fact that the plant is non-functional and untreated waste is being discharged into Clifden Bay; if he will offer assurances that these planned improvements will not be reduced or eliminated, and, in further view of the potential impact on tourism and the region, if he will indicate if he is willing to recommend fast-tracking this project through his Department’s approval system.
[11854/09]
855 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if in view of the need to revisit budgetary matter and the need to reconfigure some aspects of central Government’s capital programme, and the many representations made to him on architectural and environmental dimensions of the project he will propose such alternatives in relation to the Meath masterplan through the Tara valley as will facilitate a reconsideration of the significance of the Tara site.
[11189/09]
84 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will put in place a special package for those people who were in the process of applying for the early retirement scheme and installation aid scheme when the schemes were suspended on 14 October 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11992/09]
78 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of farm inspections under all schemes and programmes operated by his Department; the cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11991/09]
53 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will publish the National Energy Efficiency Plan; if there will be measures to combat fuel poverty included; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10523/09]
33 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his position regarding bio-fuels; his views on whether imported bio-fuels will be required to meet the targets set by the EU; if he has concerns over the traceability of these imported bio-fuels; the percentage of imported bio-fuels; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10522/09]
197 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of the continuing conflict in relation to the Corrib gas field and the request for transparency, he is in a position to indicate the persons who were the consultants used to inform the decision on the original concession; and if he is satisfied that no conflict of interest was involved.
[10378/09]
193 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is in a position to reply to the concern expressed as to the adequacy of the scientific information upon which the recent proposal for a complete ban on eel fishing was introduced in view of the fact that it has been suggested that the European Commission does not favour a complete ban.
[10377/09]
68 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to deliver the programme for Government commitment in relation to a national strategy on biodegradable waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10149/09]
66 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to ensure drinking water throughout the country is of good quality; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10148/09]
72 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence the number of members recruited to the Reserve Defence Forces throughout 2008 and to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9768/09]
51 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence his proposals to amend the Defence (Amendment) Act 1990, in order to allow PDFORA to have a limited membership of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9767/09]
196 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding the payment of outstanding farm waste management grants; if it remains the case that he proposes to stagger payment of same over the next number of years; if he has been contacted by farmers who have outlined the financial danger in which they will be placed if this is the case; if it is planned to reverse the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9390/09]
195 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on the case in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; his advice in this matter; the action that can be taken in order to solve the issue; the steps that will be taken in view of this; if payment will be made as had been agreed, as a matter of priority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9389/09]
45 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of defined benefit pension schemes that fail the minimum funding standard; and the number of these that are below 25% of the standard, 50% of the standard, and 75% of the standard respectively.
[9287/09]
33 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she is satisfied with the level of enforcement of the minimum funding standard in respect of defined benefit pensions.
[9288/09]
71 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his Department has been involved in discussions regarding Údarás na Gaeltachta being subsumed into or having a closer operational relationship with either the Industrial Development Authority or Enterprise Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8975/09]
64 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the plan from the Government committee for the conservation of the Irish language will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8972/09]
439 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason one of three teachers has been withdrawn from a school (details supplied) despite the fact that on the cut-off date of 30 September 2008 this school had the requisite numbers of pupils required to maintain three teachers and that figure being changed and backdated several weeks later; if he has been contacted by parents of pupils attending this school seeking a reversal of this decision; if an exceptional case will be made in this instance in particular view of the fact that the school had complied with the requirements as originally put in place.
[8403/09]
86 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when he expects to launch the new per cent for art scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8526/09]
46 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount his Department estimates will be saved by the introduction of the forthcoming pension levy on public sector workers within his Department and all other staff paid for out of his Department’s budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7923/09]