119 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children if the supply without charge of medical and surgical appliances covered in section 59 of the Health Act 1970 includes shoes provided these have been prescribed by a medical doctor.
[15769/08]
71 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if, in view of the changing economic climate, he proposes to review the decision to accept substantial pay increases for members of Cabinet, albeit on a deferred basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15625/08]
50 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the position regarding measures being proposed with the aim of ensuring that recipients of credit union dividends comply with DIRT legislation in all cases where this is appropriate; if information is available or is being sought from credit unions in relation to non-payment of DIRT at source; if this is carried out on a retrospective basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15624/08]
161 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, following the sending of three Brazilian students to Mountjoy prison upon their arrival here, he will give details of the contact which has been made by the individuals involved or their embassy with his Department.
[15535/08]
111 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he expects to receive the draft policy paper on next generation broadband networks; if he will implement the value for money and policy review of phase one of the MANs programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14637/08]
81 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he is taking, in view of the unprecedented increase in diesel prices here, to curb these increases; his proposals to ease the burden on the consumer; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14666/08]
122 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures his Department has put in place to ensure that local authorities conform to quality customer service standards.
[14450/08]
94 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures his Department has put in place to ensure that local authorities conform to best practice in disability access rather than meeting just the minimal legal requirements; and if he will ensure that best practice applies not just to buildings but to websites, customer service counters, leaflets, public meetings, procurement policies and so on.
[14451/08]
506 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if it is possible for a non-EU national to marry an Irish national here while in the country on a holiday visa of three months duration; and if not, if he will offer the relevant advice as the best course of action to persons (details supplied).
[14894/08]
94 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the interest groups with which he has consulted with regard to the implementation of Directive 2006/24/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on the retention of data; when he expects these consultations to conclude; when he expects that his proposals will be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14051/08]
38 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress with regard to the establishment of the Garda organised crime unit; the personnel and resources that will be made available to the unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14050/08]
225 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position of an application for naturalisation for a person (details supplied).
[13499/08]
167 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Galway has recently been denied a higher education grant; and the reason for this decision, in view of the fact that the guidelines set out by her Department indicate their entitlement to this grant.
[13457/08]
248 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the present deeply worrying crisis in Tibet; the Government’s position on the matter; the action and assistance Ireland proposes to provide in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12922/08]
100 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the latest information available to her Department on the outbreak of bluetongue in Northern Ireland; the steps she is taking to ensure that the disease does not spread to this country; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13070/08]
76 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will press the European Commission for an EU strategy to support a sustainable fish and shellfish farming sector to redress the balance of seafood imports in the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[13069/08]
862 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position of cases (details supplied); and when these cases are expected to be processed.
[11665/08]
491 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will instigate a programme of nationwide expansion of the Passport Office, in order that the people of Ireland may acquire passports in all urban centres, not just Dublin and Cork.
[11556/08]
94 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the changes he will make to child income supports in view of the National Economic and Social Council report, Child Income Supports: The Case for a New Form of Targeting.
[12208/08]
41 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the action he proposes to take to ensure that publicly-funded centres and buildings are made available to voluntary arts and sports groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10851/08]
38 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress on extending the culture night event to other cities for the event in September 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10823/08]
113 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his Department’s readiness for the digital terrestrial television switch over; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10581/08]
446 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide assurances that Irish soldiers deployed in Chad are fully equipped with maps, global positioning systems and communications equipment to ensure that events such as that which occurred recently whereby a French EUFOR vehicle which, according to reports, strayed by a few kilometres across an unmarked border into Darfur resulting in an engagement between EUFOR and Sudanese forces leading to loss of life, will be averted.
[10304/08]
297 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on new efforts Ireland will make within a global alliance to help ensure international supply chains are managed in such a way as not to allow forced labour and all forms of exploitation in the context of the International Labour Organisation’s recent international forum against forced labour.
[10305/08]
161 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance when, in view of the news that the Government plans to amend legislation governing the operation of the National Pensions Reserve Fund to allow for ethical considerations to be taken into account, and as a consequence end Irish investment in cluster munitions, this new amended legislation will be published; and if he will ensure, as has been called for by an organisation (details supplied), that the Government works with human rights and development organisations in order to ensure that a robust set of ethical guidelines is used in the legislation.
[10303/08]
155 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Taoiseach the subjects he will raise with the US President during his visit to the United States over the St. Patrick’s Day 2008 period; if one of these subjects will be the issue of the undocumented Irish; the recent communications his Department and officials have had from their counterparts in Washington DC on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10290/08]
139 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, further to similar questions in which he stated that Ireland largely fulfils the criminal justice requirements of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the ways in which Ireland does not comply with the convention; and when this convention will be ratified.
[10270/08]
83 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the most recent events in Gaza and whether retaliation undertaken by the Israeli defence forces to the unjustifiable rocket attacks from Gaza is disproportionate, particularly in view of claims made by B’Tselem that half of those killed by Israeli strikes were unarmed civilians and one quarter, children; and the action he proposes to take in this regard as a member of the international community as well as the European Union, a member of the international Quartet.
[10315/08]
58 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if he has abandoned plans to develop a public service obligation for the Shannon-Heathrow route; if he has had further contacts with his UK and EU counterparts on the development of the Shannon-Heathrow PSO; his views on establishing a PSO on the Waterford-Dublin route; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9628/08]
38 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the redevelopment of Ceannt Station; if he has reviewed proposals by CIÉ to dispose of publicly held land at Ceannt Station; the reason Ceannt Station’s upgrading and refurbishment continues to be excluded from capital provision in Transport 21; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9637/08]
112 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will develop a respiratory strategy to address the statistics in the report Ireland Needs Healthier Airways and Lungs — the Evidence published by the Irish Thoracic Society which shows that Ireland has the worst death rate in Europe from respiratory diseases; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9297/08]
107 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children if she has received a report from the Irish Blood Transfusion Service on the reason it allowed data on donors to be sent out of Ireland without the permission of those donors; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9298/08]
120 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in regard to the proposed Thornton Hall Prison plan; the latest estimate available to his Department of the expected cost, including the cost of the site and the provision of infrastructure and ancillary services; the cost of construction and fitting out of the prison; the costs incurred to date; the estimated date for the completion of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8970/08]
105 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if it is intended to detain young offenders at the planned Thornton Hall Prison complex in north Dublin; if he is satisfied that this plan is consistent with Ireland’s obligations under international conventions that prohibit the jailing of juveniles in adult places of detention; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8969/08]
35 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the policy directives given to local authority planners as regards density levels in high rise apartment developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8047/08]
30 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it is permissible for a local authority to facilitate a Part VIII development, if the local authority has no stake hold itself in the development; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8046/08]
506 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will ensure, and make a priority of ensuring, that Dúchas provide maps in post offices and other such publicly accessible offices of Special Areas of Conservation in order that the public be enabled to see the precise locations of these Special Areas of Conservation.
[8011/08]
414 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position of an application for citizenship by a person (details supplied).
[7593/08]
87 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the estimate of the number of residents here owning foreign, income generating properties; the number paying tax on such income; the amount of such tax received annually by the Exchequer; the expected instance of non-payment of such tax; the amount of tax expected to be foregone to the Exchequer through non-payment; the expected impact on Exchequer revenues of the measures proposed in the Finance Bill 2008 to combat non-payment of tax due; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7746/08]
49 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance when he expects the re-negotiation of the double taxation agreement between the US and Ireland to take place; the impact he expects this re-negotiation to have on the Exchequer here in future years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7745/08]
32 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will introduce a traceability system for Irish fish catch; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7112/08]
144 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science when capital funds from her Department will be made available for the extension, refurbishment and building programme at Galway Technical Institute; when she envisages the project being sanctioned under the school building and modernisation programme; when the institute will be in a position to introduce the exciting and innovative programme it has submitted to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6039/08]
118 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary schools that have teaching principals; the average size of these schools; the number of pupils, teachers and other staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6072/08]
161 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence the progress made by the chief of staff in regard to his previous review of recruitment into the Defence Forces at all levels and implementing changes that will facilitate recruitment from among cultural and ethnic minorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6332/08]
152 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence when he will correspond with party leaders asking them to nominate representatives to the all-party Oireachtas consultation group on the commemoration of the 1916 Rising; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6333/08]
49
D’fhiafraigh Deputy Michael D. Higgins den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cad iad na hathruithe ar chumhachtaí agus feidhmeanna Údarás na Gaeltachta a bheidh sa Bhille um Údarás na Gaeltachta atá geallta; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina leith.
[5600/08]
6
D’fhiafraigh Deputy Michael D. Higgins den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil se sásta go bhfuil go leor aistritheoirí Béarla-Gaeilge, teangacha eile Eorpacha-Gaeilge agus go leor ateangairí Béarla-Gaeilge, teangacha eile Eorpacha-Gaeilge atá ar caighdeán sách maith ar fáil chun an t-éileamh atá anois ann in Éirinn agus san Eoraip a shásamh; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina leith.
[5599/08]
156 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he is satisfied that the test of the habitual residence condition is being applied evenly and consistently.
[5254/08]
106 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he will place the Money Advice and Budgeting Service on a statutory basis.
[5256/08]
599 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the resources, including additional resources, which he proposes to make available to local authorities in each of the river basin districts in order to enable them to implement the EU water framework directive; when the timescale and expenditures in each case will be published and communicated to the local authorities in question; if the revision of the development plans in the areas of the local authorities have taken account of such additional expenditure as may be required; and if he will sanction such additional staff as will be necessary for preparation and implementation of the directive.
[4547/08]