876 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Transport the reason the Dublin Transport Office advisory committee has not been reconstituted in view of the fact that it last met in May 2003, that Dublin local authorities appointed members to the committee after the local elections in June 2004 and that he stated in Dáil Éireann on 1 March 2005 that he intended to reconstitute the committee at an early date.
[1757/06]
854 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will be contributing to the essential repairs to Balbriggan and Skerries Harbours now that his Department has finalised the ownership transfer from Dublin Port Company to Fingal County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1059/06]
412 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of parliamentary questions submitted to her in 2005 and the number referred to other bodies such as the Health Service Executive.
[1756/06]
382 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the need for funding at the weight management clinic at St. Colmcille’s Hospital will be addressed; and if she will indicate at which stage the application for further funding is now at (details supplied).
[1456/06]
187 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his Department’s views regarding the level and number of amber and red alerts that the energy regulator had to issue in the second half of 2005 due to the unavailability of existing generation plant; if his attention has been drawn to the reported recent operation of emergency generating plant for some 15 to 17 hours a day on a regular basis and the extreme volatility in the top up price that independent generators have had to pay for additional power due as a result of this capacity problem; and if such volatility will discourage new entrants into the Irish electricity market.
[2191/06]
129 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when a decision will be made on the proposed new electricity interconnector across the Irish sea; the scale of interconnection which is appropriate; and the way in which the interconnector will be built and financed.
[2192/06]
1 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the progress of the McEntee commission investigating the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36690/05]
88 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the Irish, EU and UN relief effort following the earthquake in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39316/05]
47 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Council of Europe has been in contact with the Government regarding the Council’s special investigation of human rights abuses in the illegal transfer of prisoners via aircraft; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36689/05]
6 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the issues discussed at the November 2005 cross-departmental team on infrastructure and public-private partnerships; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37990/05]
404 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to the recent High Court decision on court action taken by a garda (details supplied), the action he proposes to take with the garda where they were required to resign from the force by the Garda Síochána complaints tribunal in June 1998; the cost of the court action to the State; if the garda will be asked to vacate their accommodation at a Garda station; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[39039/05]
111 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance if the Government has, in 2005, made additional contributions to the statutory setting aside and investing of 1% of GNP annually to the National Pensions Reserve Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38912/05]
110 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance the way in which the Office of Public Works processes have been reformed in order that the type of waste outlined in a programme (details supplied) in May 2005 cannot recur; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38911/05]
8 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the contacts he has had with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, or the British Government regarding new legislation introduced in the UK by the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr. Peter Hain, permitting an amnesty for on-the-run terrorist suspects; the implications for legislation in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36691/05]
3 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the progress made in establishing dialogue between the Government, churches and faith communities announced by the Government in December 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36688/05]
172 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on the recent decision of the European Food Safety Authority to allow the use of formaldehyde as a growth enhancer in chicken feed; and the steps she will take to ensure producers and consumers are informed on the matter.
[38511/05]
156 Mr. Sargent asked asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new foreign companies brought by the IDA to Limerick city, Limerick county and north Tipperary since 2000; the breakdown of the jobs created each year; the number of jobs in those companies; the number of jobs originally projected in those companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38577/05]
124 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the accountability in the standard of care provided by Government funded organisations working with victims of rape and sexual assault.
[38505/05]
66 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on requests by the ICSA (details supplied) that she instigate an industry-wide examination of charges and deductions applied at meat plants on slaughtered cattle; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[38445/05]
22 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her stance on genetically modified food; if Ireland is becoming a genetically modified-free zone; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[38446/05]
179 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the regulations that are in place to ensure that vegetables with an organic label are actually organically grown.
[38261/05]
156 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the food safety regulations which apply to shell fish and other fish caught in the Dublin region.
[38260/05]
109 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Defence the Partnership for Peace activities the Irish Defence Forces have participated in during 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38207/05]
71 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Defence if the decision on Ireland participating in the new EU battle groups has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38208/05]
1 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the progress his Department has made in meeting the bilingual demands of the Official Languages Act 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30217/05]
497 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to put in place visitor facilities at the Burren National Park; when a draft management plan for the park will be published; if his attention has been drawn to the Heritage Council wildlife officer’s (details supplied) proposed strategy for the Burren, Building a New Burren; if same will be considered when drafting the management plan; the number of Government reports which have been drafted on the Burren over the past 15 years and the cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37676/05]
363 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the secret service was formed; its functions; the number of persons it employs and the location in which it is based.
[37675/05]
235 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance the reason behind the large increase in funding for the Secret Service in next year’s Estimates; if it indicates that the threat to the State has increased in recent times; if the service is responsible for monitoring suspected al-Qaeda members here and if the service employs persons who can speak or write Arabic.
[37674/05]
240 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance his views regarding the Revenue Commissioners to review the charitable tax exemption enjoyed by a body (details supplied) in Dublin 7 in view of information given to Dáil Éireann in the course of an Adjournment debate on 9 March 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37821/05]
230 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance his views regarding a body (details supplied) in Dublin 7 promoting itself as having charitable status and being a registered charity, neither of which are currently available in Irish law on the basis of having secured charitable exemption in tax law; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37823/05]
229 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied with the degree to which bodies awarded charitable tax exemption by the Revenue Commissioners are invigilated by the State in view of information regarding one such body (details supplied) in Dublin 7 which is apparently still in good standing with the Revenue Commissioners, notwithstanding information given to Dáil Éireann in the course of an Adjournment debate on 9 March 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37822/05]
131 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position the Government has taken within European Union negotiations in advance of the non-agricultural market access talks due to take place in Hong Kong; his views on whether the arguments raised by development non-governmental organisations that the further removal of tariffs being proposed by the European Union and other developed countries will only lead to poor-country governments facing balance of payments problems, loss of tax revenue, downward pressure on workers’ conditions and rights and the undermining of their future industrial development prospects.
[37931/05]
153 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the recent work of the National Competitiveness Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37550/05]
8 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent correspondence with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31435/05]
7 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the developments in terms of talks on a successor to the Sustaining Progress agreement; when he will meet the social partners; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31433/05]
4 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the special interdepartmental group chaired by his Department which will monitor the appointment of public relations consultants to Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34053/05]
242 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if funding will be provided from his Department to list public rights of way for inclusion in county development plans in view of the lack of financial resources available to local authorities.
[37383/05]
95 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the improvements to his Department’s services that he envisages from the e-Government related projects allocated funding under the 2006 Estimates.
[37131/05]
19 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding the European Commission’s new proposed portability of pensions directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37132/05]
251 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the arrangements his Department is putting in place to facilitate family reunification for holders of green cards issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment under the terms of the employment permits legislation that has been brought forward by the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37115/05]
177 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the different permits allowing migrants to engage in economic activity issued or intended to be issued by his Department to different categories of workers; what distinguishes the different schemes from each other and what are, or will be, the distinctive rights and entitlements of the various categories of workers with particular regard to employment permits, work permits, spousal work permits and green cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[37116/05]
163 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the proposal from Howth Yacht Club referred to in Parliamentary Question No. 135 of 24 November 2005 has been made available to interested stakeholders; and if he will supply a copy.
[37286/05]
91
D'fhiafraigh Mr. Sargent den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil a fhios aige go ndealraíonn sé a bheith i bhfad níos deacra deontas a fháil ó Údarás na Gaeltachta le haghaidh tionscadail i gcuid na cathrach den Ghaeltacht ná mar a bhíonn sna codanna tuaithe, agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh.
[37001/05]
65
D'fhiafraigh Mr. Sargent den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cad iad na pleananna atá aige, más ann, chun tacú leis an togra go ndéanfaí cathair dhátheangach oifigiúil de chathair na Gaillimhe, agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh.
[37000/05]
9 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the number of consultancy contracts commissioned by his Department, or the boards and agencies under the auspices of his Department since 1997; the purpose and costs of each consultancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31434/05]