1114 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the Government’s commitment to supporting small business, there is funding available to urban local authorities to provide commercial green waste recycling facilities, in view of the fact that publicly provided recycling centres in Dublin are now closed to professional landscapers and gardeners.
[10990/05]
1113 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he is taking to ensure that businesses other than those serviced by a company (details supplied) have facilities available to them to dispose and recycle their waste products.
[10989/05]
818 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science when an application for a home tuition grant for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 18 will be sanctioned by her Department.
[10063/05]
588 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if officials of his Department have carried out any site assessment studies at Dublin Airport to ensure the selection of an optimum site for a second terminal at same which will best integrate into the overall operation of the airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11158/05]
541 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has plans to repay disabled person’s maintenance allowances and disability allowances to persons who, prior to 1999 lost their allowance on entering residential care.
[10755/05]
540 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the origin of the anomaly whereby persons with a disability entering residential care before 1999 lost most of their disability allowance and their disabled persons maintenance allowance and those entering care post 1999 retained the full allowance.
[10754/05]
542 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way in which he proposes to increase the number of welfare payments made electronically; and if persons wishing to continue to collect their payments via payable orders in An Post will continue to be facilitated once the proposed changes are introduced.
[10805/05]
472 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council application for funding for the refurbishment of the Dundrum family resource centre pool.
[10626/05]
118 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he intends to seek a site assessment study to ensure the selection of an optimum site for a second terminal at Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9798/05]
68 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children further to the findings of the Supreme Court of 16 February 2005, the cost of the over 70s medical card for each of the years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9449/05]
70 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the health and safety of patients waiting on trolleys in accident and emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[9448/05]
422 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress to date in developing and implementing a traffic corps strategy; when this strategy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8626/05]
423 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí who make up the Garda traffic corps; the proposed increases in manpower for 2005; when these will be added to the traffic corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8627/05]
421 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount which has been allocated to the budget for the newly created traffic corps in 2005; the amount which was allocated to the Garda Síochána for its traffic units in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8625/05]
417 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the investigation into a person (details supplied)by the immigration office will be finalised.
[8567/05]
356 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if the special advisers attached to his Department are part of the line management system of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9395/05]
352 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the roles and functions carried out by special advisers attached to his Department; if circulars or instructions have been issued within his Department concerning special advisers; if so, if he will provide a copy of any such circulars; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9317/05]
348 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if the RPA is undertaking a review of all aspects of the Luas project as stated by his predecessor, Deputy Brennan; when such a review will be completed; if it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9218/05]
350 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he is responsible for the performance of the functions of his Department in accordance with section 3 of the Public Service Management Act 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9281/05]
347 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he is responsible for the performance of the functions of his Department in accordance with section 3 of the Public Service Management Act 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9217/05]
339 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if Aer Lingus has acquired new aircraft for its European short haul fleet since 2003; the number, type and cost of this acquisition; if the new aircraft are now on stream; the progress that has been made on upgrading and expanding the long haul fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9015/05]
338 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if the Department of Finance wrote to his departmental officials in March 2004 urging them to ensure that his Department had in place a contract of employment with the chief executive officer of Aer Lingus; his Department’s response to this request; the measures taken by his officials to resolve this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9004/05]
332 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the progress that has been made in relation to completing an open skies aviation deal between Ireland and the US; his views on whether Ireland can negotiate an open skies agreement with the US independently of the EU, in the light of the rejection by the EU Council of Ministers of the first phase of the EU-US Agreement as negotiated by the European Commission and in view of the EU Regulation (EC) No. 847/2004; if such a bilateral agreement between the US and Ireland would have to gain the approval of the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8916/05]
330 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the current estimated total cost of the construction of a second terminal at Dublin Airport; when he will announce the Government’s decision on the company that will construct and run this terminal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8880/05]
329 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport his views on the proposed construction of Pier D at Dublin Airport by the Dublin Airport Authority; if these represent a change of position from his predecessor; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8873/05]
326 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he envisages the introduction of additional legislation to legitimise the outsourcing of speed cameras.
[8810/05]
327 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the pension concerns of the members of the Retired Aviation Staff Association; his views on whether the concerns raised by the group are bona fide; if he will address these concerns; if so, the proposals that are being advanced by his Department to resolve the grievances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8827/05]
322 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport what negotiations have taken place with the CIE unions and the social partners since the Government took office in 2002 with regard to the reform of the Transport Act 1932 and the break-up of CIE; when such discussions last took place; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8744/05]
321 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he will introduce a regulation to require trucks, HGVs, buses and coaches to carry a decal showing the statutory speed limits for such classes of vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8743/05]
320 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the funding provided to the BMW south and east regions, respectively, for road building and public transport projects each year under the National Development Plan to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8742/05]
318 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he has received representations from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in respect of the height of the port tunnel; and if he is considering a change of mind following such representations.
[8727/05]
315 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether it is a case of either one or the other proposal being approved in relation to the separate proposals before his Department, namely the RPA’s proposal for a metro system running from Dublin’s city centre to the airport and Iarnród Éireann’s proposal for an interconnector tunnel; if he is committed to the delivery of both projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8647/05]
312 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he will report on the progress to date with the implementation of integrated ticketing on the public transport systems; when full integrated ticketing will take effect on all forms of public transport in the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8600/05]
169 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if tax relief for the purchase of travel tickets is available to commuters who use non State-owned forms of public transport, such as private bus operators; if he will consider extending this relief to cover such commuters; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8915/05]
9 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of tenderers being considered for the procurement of a national conference centre in Dublin; when a preferred tenderer will be selected; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9200/05]
73 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has received any indication from the communications regulator regarding the DSL failure rate, which indicates that approximately half the telephone lines are broadband compatible; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8349/05]
33 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the replacement of the anchor tenant at the Digital Hub; if any moneys spent to date are recoverable; his future plans for the Digital Hub project; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8350/05]
132 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the percentage of students at second level who complete the leaving certificate examination; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7901/05]
63 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if, based upon her experience to date of the five PPP schools already delivered, she intends to make changes to the method of agreeing such contracts in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7859/05]
395 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of the school construction project for the Stepaside and Leopardstown area in the Sandyford parish of Dublin South; if it is envisaged that construction will be completed by September 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[7558/05]
357 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the choice of location of speed cameras, whether fixed or mobile, will remain solely in the hands of the Garda Síochána; if the system of remuneration for the operating company will be structured in such a way as to prevent revenue raising considerations influencing the justice system; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7806/05]
356 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if it is envisaged that the outsourcing of speed cameras will be confined to fixed cameras; if private operators will operate mobile cameras; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7805/05]
95 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the conduct of the upcoming elections in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7624/05]
86 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has raised with his Argentine counterpart, or at European Union level, the implementation of the UN convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in that country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7615/05]
225 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason there was no grant allocation for the past two years to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council under the small scheme’s programme for water and drainage; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a potential environmental gain for many houses in rural and formerly rural areas in that they may access new main sewers.
[7182/05]
172 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in reaching a decision in the funding requirements of Aer Lingus there are interests other than those of ICTU to consider; when he expects the process of consultation with them to be completed in order that a decisions in the interests of all taxpayers can be made.
[7179/05]
117 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food further to the Bacon review of the forestry sector, her proposals to develop the sector, particularly in reaching the planting target set out in the programme for Government 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6784/05]
69 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action she is taking to ensure all third country beef is properly labelled; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[6787/05]
319 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on recent calls for legislation allowing for the modernisation of the Coroners Service to allow the service to provide a more detailed analysis of fatal road crash data, including a national database of coroners files to aid research into the causes of road deaths; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6815/05]