253 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the 2004 budget for Mullingar General Hospital, Tullamore General Hospital and Portlaoise General Hospital; and if he will compare these figures to the comparable allocations for each of the past five years.
[13182/04]
200 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of Freedom of Information requests received in his Department in 2003; the number that were responded to positively; the number of these requests which related to children with special needs; the number of positive responses to these requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13416/04]
199 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of applications received in his Department for the school year from September 2003 for special needs assistants for children who were then commencing school; the number of these applications which had recommendations from professional assessors supporting such appointments; and the number of successful applications in this category.
[13415/04]
161 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if the Office of Public Works is in negotiations to procure a property in Mullingar, County Westmeath, to facilitate the decentralisation of the Department of Education and Science headquarters; when these negotiations are likely to conclude; and the timeframe for this decentralisation process.
[13601/04]
160 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of applications for primary medical certificates received in his Department in 2003; the numbers approved; and the situation concerning the review of the disabled drivers’ and passengers’ regulations.
[13591/04]
140 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position concerning the decoupling proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13590/04]
103 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Defence if negotiations have been completed with Westmeath County Council to facilitate the relocation of the boundary wall at Columb Barracks, Mullingar, adjacent to Leshe Road; the money which he has allocated for this project; when this work is likely to be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13602/04]
102 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Defence the number of new recruits in 2003 to the permanent Defence Forces at Columb Barracks, Mullingar; and his plans for the future strengthening of the force at this barracks.
[13594/04]
101 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Defence the payments received in 2003 by his Department from financial institutions by way of payment for providing Army escorts for cash in transit; if this money covered the actual costs of providing this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13592/04]
201 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the details of the mechanism by which persons in receipt of the lone parent allowance have their rent allowance reduced if they take up part-time employment; and if there are regional differences in the way in which this calculated.
[13026/04]
11 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if a review will be arranged of the policies and practices in relation to the disposal of equipment and stocks which are surplus to requirement by public sector bodies to ensure that value for money from such disposal is maximised.
[12900/04]
4 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the aggregate amount of tax of all types raised from the activities associated with the construction, sale, rental and occupation of housing; and if he has plans to change the taxation or other aspects of Government policy towards the housing sector.
[13034/04]
165 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the way in which a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath is expected to enrol for a place in second level school for September 2004 when they have been refused enrolment at a number of schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12526/04]
87 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Transport if he intends to bring forward integrated ticketing and smartcard technologies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11023/04]
104 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Transport the plans he has to review the procedure for the location of bus stops; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11022/04]
96 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if an application for funding to extend the health centre at Kinnegad, County Westmeath, has been received by his Department; the date of this application; if funding is available for these works; and if he will give priority in view of the rapid population increase in this town.
[12353/04]
94 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the hospitals in which there are dialysis units; and the doctor complement in each of these units.
[12351/04]
93 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the waiting period that exists at Mullingar General Hospital for children to be attended to in the ear, nose and throat clinic; the number of children who are on this waiting list; and the action he proposes to take to alleviate the unacceptable delays.
[12350/04]
92 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children when the dialysis unit at the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, was set up; the cost of setting up the unit; the training that was undertaken by staff for the unit; the number of staff appointed to run the unit and their grades; when the unit became operational; the number of persons who utilise the unit weekly; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12349/04]
139 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position concerning the legal proceedings against Ireland which have been initiated by the European Commission for the non-implementation of EU Directive 2000/53/EC regarding end of life vehicles; if he will report on his discussions with the three stakeholder groups (details supplied) about this directive; the number of authorised treatment facilities he expects will be available; and when these facilities will come on stream.
[12415/04]
124 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a shortage of community welfare officers in parts of the country; the plans she has to increase the number of community welfare officers.
[12173/04]
136 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the proposals she has to change the eligibility criteria for carer’s allowance, particularly for persons in receipt of a social welfare payment prior to making application for carer’s allowance; if consideration will be given to the need for introduction of an income disregard for those in receipt of a social welfare payment who subsequently qualify for carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[12169/04]
819 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the allocation to Westmeath County Council for 2004 under the local improvement scheme; and if he will compare this figure to the corresponding allocation for each of the past five years.
[11782/04]
665 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Transport the percentage of commuters using cars versus buses, and bicycles where relevant, along the major quality bus networks before and after their completion.
[11869/04]
601 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give an update on the review of the nursing home subvention scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11850/04]
600 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the payments available to student nurses who while on work experience in hospitals may have to travel long distances from their college base and may have to find accommodation at this location.
[11849/04]
599 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the payments that were payable to student nurses at first year, second year and third year for each of the past 10 years; and the source of the payments.
[11848/04]
598 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the payments available to student nurses for their job experience work in hospitals; if he will confirm the person responsible for making those payments to individual nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11847/04]
597 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of non-permanent employees made permanent in each of the health boards and health authorities for each of the past 36 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11846/04]
566 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the fact that certain middle management personnel in the Midland Health Board have been seconded to the new Health Authority, their positions will be filled in the interim period; and the method by which these positions will be filled.
[11520/04]
565 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the situation in relation to decision making in the Midland Health Board in view of his decision to abolish health boards from June 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11519/04]
559 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the resources available from his Department or health boards for pre-school children with special needs to enable them to take their place in primary school.
[11488/04]
426 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if a survey of staff at present based in his Department’s headquarters has been undertaken to establish the willingness of those personnel to be relocated to Mullingar under the Government’s decentralisation programme; if he will give details of this survey; and if he will report on progress made on the relocation of this office.
[11851/04]
369 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath, which will need an additional classroom in September 2004 will have sanction provided by his Department for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11515/04]
368 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath, which has sufficient numbers to warrant an additional teacher, will have a teacher approved for September 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11514/04]
362 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department makes decisions on the provision of special needs assistants, additional resource teaching and resource materials to children with special needs in primary schools without a child having been assessed or interviewed or examined by personnel from his Department or by persons acting on his Department’s behalf; and the reason such additional help is refused in many cases despite the fact that the professional reports on many children recommend the appointment of a special needs assistant.
[11493/04]
361 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the help or resources available from his Department to pre-school children with special needs to prepare them for entry to primary school.
[11492/04]
359 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if an application was received from a school in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath for special needs resources; the date on which this application was received; if it has been acknowledged; and when it is expected that additional resources will be provided to this school to enable it to help this person reach their potential.
[11490/04]
310 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will indicate to the parents of a pupil if a place can be found at a second level school in Mullingar or its environs, in view of the fact that each of the second level schools in this area have indicated that they are full.
[11134/04]
309 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the procedures to be followed by the parent of a child of primary school starting age who lives in Mullingar town and who cannot find a place in any primary school closer than 12 miles from Mullingar town; and if a school place closer to their place of residence can be found.
[11133/04]
220 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many farmers who availed of the early retirement from farming scheme are now not in receipt of any payment from his Department due to the fact that they are in receipt of contributory social welfare pension, yet they are still required to fulfil conditions attaching to the farm retirement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11240/04]
219 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, with regard to the recent changes in the farm retirement scheme, the Minister will confirm if the present income ceiling for farmers by which those pensioners are prevented from benefiting from State pensions will be removed.
[11239/04]
201 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs lost in Westmeath in 2003; and if she will compare this to the number of IDA-aided jobs established in the area during the same period.
[11872/04]
200 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made in mainstreaming the jobs of workers employed on FÁS schemes with caring organisations like the wheelchair association and centres for independent living; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[11871/04]
118 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on whether alcohol abuse should become part of the national drugs strategy or a wider addiction strategy; his further views on whether there is a need for a joint approach; the reason he does not view alcohol, if abused, as an equally dangerous drug; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[11938/04]
135 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the rate of nursing home subvention payable to a single person in the highest dependency category in a nursing home, who has an old age contributory pension at the maximum rate and approximately €25,000 in the bank as their only means.
[10930/04]
134 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will report on progress on Phase 2B of Mullingar Hospital; and the expected date for the coming on stream of additional beds at this hospital.
[10929/04]
133 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress made to date on the implementation of the Hanly Report; the way in which this will impact on the Midlands area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10928/04]
132 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the hospitals in which there are dialysis units; and the doctor complement in each of the units.
[10927/04]
131 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children when the dialysis unit at the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, was set up; the cost of setting up the unit; the training that was undertaken by staff for the unit; the number of staff appointed to run the unit and their grades; when the unit became operational; the number of persons who utilise the unit weekly; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10926/04]