476 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if meetings or negotiations either by his Department or anyone else acting on his behalf have taken place with National Toll Roads on the issue of a buy-out by the State of the West Link toll bridge; the issues raised and progress made to date during such talks; if such talks have not taken place, if such a goal will be pursued; his views on such a buy-out by the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19003/05]
265 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when an adoption assessment (details supplied) is likely to commence.
[19839/05]
78 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children carried by school bus transport each day at both primary and secondary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[19707/05]
100 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the EU will agree on a common approach to UN reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18627/05]
81 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the current political situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18590/05]
256 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason the cost of motor tax when paid in three month or six month lots is more expensive; if he will consider facilitating motorists with pro rata charges to help keep the near prohibitive cost of motoring down.
[18571/05]
29 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied with the progress in making staff assignments to decentralising posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18353/05]
396 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding plans for the replacement station for the expanding Stepaside area.
[18370/05]
395 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding plans for the replacement station for the expanding Dundrum area.
[18369/05]
375 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason a person (details supplied) was refused a holiday visa to visit here.
[17964/05]
328 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to a decision that has been made to divert all Dublin Port bound and originating traffic via the new port tunnel; if so, if this arrangement will be operational from the date of the tunnel completion in 2006 or postponed until the upgrade of the M1-M50 junction in 2012.
[18471/05]
327 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he will publish the details of the agreement concerning their terms and conditions of employment at the second terminal at Dublin Airport reached between the Government and ICTU, which formed part of the mid-term review of Sustaining Progress in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18441/05]
322 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the year of bus manufacture when structural changes to the body of the Bus Éireann fleet were such as to allow fitting of safety belts.
[18182/05]
317 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the details of the remuneration package awarded to the new CEO at the Dublin Airport Authority.
[18125/05]
310 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, further to Parliamentary Question No. 54 of 12 May 2005, if he has requested traffic flow modelling for the M50-M1 junction for pre-port tunnel traffic and post-port tunnel traffic.
[17828/05]
309 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the number of specimens tested by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety in 2003; the breakdown of these which were taken from blood or urine samples; the number of persons who tested positive for drugs and who were successfully prosecuted in the courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18231/05]
187 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the arrangements in place or planned for the further education, training or activation provision for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 16.
[18380/05]
120 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Taoiseach if he will publish the details of the agreement concerning the terms and conditions of employment at the second terminal at Dublin Airport reached between the Government and ICTU, which formed part of the mid-term review of Sustaining Progress in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18440/05]
84 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the European Commission’s quarterly report on the euro area which shows Irish exporters are less competitive than their European counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18084/05]
94 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the results of his four day visit to the United States in April 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18083/05]
106 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the criteria which are used to establish permitted weight limits on bridges; and if a national standard exists or is planned.
[17690/05]
101 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action she is taking to ensure that all third country beef is properly labelled; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[17319/05]
59 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the proposals her Department intends to pursue to develop the sector following the recent Bacon review of the forestry sector, particularly in reaching the planting target set out in the programme for Government in 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[17313/05]
186 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance the public projects which have been funded using the National Pensions Reserve Fund to date; the name, location, cost and amount invested by the National Treasury Management Agency in each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16920/05]
127 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs , further to his comments (details supplied), the reason the number of children and others living in consistent poverty has increased in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17207/05]
123 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs , further to his reported comments (details supplied), his views on the success of his measures and supports in providing the resources to help those in society who need it most in view of the rise in the percentage of the population who are at risk of poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[17208/05]
Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if, following the tragic accident that left five persons dead and many more critically injured she will immediately end the practice whereby one out of every three children is permitted to stand in a moving bus; if she will commence a programme of seat belt installation in all school bus services; if she will end the practice whereby buses considered unfit for normal passenger services are diverted to the transportation of schoolchildren; if she will ensure a full, speedy and transparent investigation into the cause of this accident and the lessons to be learned from same.
158 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will expedite the extension of circular 12/96 to afford pupils attending private schools the opportunity to obtain a Department exemption in Irish in cases in which dyslexia or other disabilities would make the learning of Irish by pupils an unnecessary and disadvantageous burden; and when the process of providing for exemptions for private school pupils will be completed.
[16741/05]
111 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if legislation is required to make automated number plate recognition admissible as proof of commission of a speeding offence in cases taken before the courts.
[16733/05]
149 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress to date on the serviced land initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16423/05]
109 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress to date in compiling a comprehensive register of land owned by local authorities as recommended by the Committee of Public Accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16424/05]
301 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he will make a decision on staffing grant assistance for a centre (details supplied) in County Cork.
[16252/05]
294 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Garda stations nationwide; the number in each division; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16208/05]
286 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his Department will urgently return passports to persons (details supplied) in Dublin 16.
[16061/05]
270 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a decision will be made on an application for asylum by a person (details supplied).
[15931/05]
227 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the measures he intends to pursue to encourage driving test applicants to obtain driving instruction prior to sitting their test; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16107/05]
226 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the consideration he has given to the introduction of weekend and evening driving tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16106/05]
225 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if the range of duties proposed as part of the responsibilities undertaken by the Driver Testing and Standards Authority will be expanded; the consideration he has given to the recommendation that he should establish a road safety authority instead of the proposed structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16105/05]
224 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if the existing information technology systems used by the driving testing system will be overhauled; if so, the total cost he envisages for this project; when he anticipates this upgrade will be on-stream; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16104/05]
222 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, further to the publication of the Travers report, if his Department has carried out a review of the legal basis for all charges and fees levied by his Department and agencies under the aegis of his Department; the outcome of any such review; if any charges have been identified which do not have an adequate legal basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16007/05]
190 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received the recommendation, as threatened by management by letter to each worker, that money due under benchmarking in June 2005 be withheld from Fáilte Ireland staff; and if he has responded to defuse this row at such a crucial time of the year for the industry.
[16323/05]
57 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the stage of development of the technology required to ensure the full implementation of all existing Road Traffic Acts; when such technology will be fully operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15499/05]
47 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he has received from the RPA the business plans which examine the extension of the Luas to Cherrywood and the Dublin Docklands; if he will report on the recommendations contained in these business plans; if these business plans will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15487/05]
131 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport his views on the development of a metro system to run from Dublin’s city centre to the airport; his further views on whether the Irish Rail interconnector plan serves a different and separate function to any proposed metro system; his further views on the opinion that a metro system can be built for less than €500 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15717/05]
18 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the measures in the short and longer term he intends to take to tackle the problem of growing commuting times revealed in a recent DTO survey examining the length of journey times into Dublin’s city centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15486/05]
4 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he maintains that it is the mandate of the Dublin Airport Authority to provide terminal services at Dublin Airport; if his stated aim is to maximise the use of existing airport lands in the provision of a second terminal at Dublin Airport, the reason his Department sought alternative expressions of interest to build a second terminal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15716/05]
1 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether, in the event of a partial sale of Aer Lingus, it would be possible to include a caveat in the sale agreement to ensure the retention of landing slots at Heathrow Airport by Dublin passengers; if he is actively considering such a clause; the action taken to examine this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15715/05]
217 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if it is intended to legislate to provide that digital imagery will be deemed admissible as proof of commission of a speeding offence in cases taken before the courts.
[15603/05]