204 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the Forest Service will compile the information provided in the grant application form distinguishing between peat and mineral soils in order to determine if the analysis by the European Environmental Agency which states that up to 84% of Irish afforestation between 1990 and 2000 took place on peatbogs is correct.
[31939/04]
203 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the European Environmental Agency’s spatial analysis group revision of the assessment of forest creation and afforestation in Ireland (details supplied); if so, the reason for the discrepancy between this and the recent reply to a parliamentary question in which it was stated that peat and mineral soils have comprised 30% and 70%, respectively, of the area afforested since 1990.
[31938/04]
130 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her policy is to accept or reject the wish of 70.9% of EU citizens, according to a European Commission opinion poll, who do not want genetically modified food.
[29374/04]
57 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of skin cancers here and the number of deaths resulting; if there has been an increase in the past 20 years; the steps she intends to take to deal with this problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[31716/04]
29 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Huang Ju, in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30928/04]
19 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the outcome of the European Council in Brussels in early November 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29647/04]
18 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he sent a message to President George W. Bush following his re-election as President of the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29646/04]
13 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the formal signing of the European constitution in Rome in October 2004; the meetings he had with other EU leaders on the margins of those ceremonies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27999/04]
334 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will investigate the difficulty which members of the public have in making contact with the child benefit and children’s allowance section of his Department in Letterkenny; and if he will put in place additional measures to ensure that phones are answered and callers receive the necessary response.
[31062/04]
228 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance the reason non-resident bogus account holders have not been prosecuted; the number who have been subject to prosecution; and the progress of the cases being taken.
[31069/04]
129 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the funding which is available for coastal protection in Wicklow; and if he will report on the long-term analysis he has carried out on the implications of global climate change on such coastal areas.
[31244/04]
118 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he plans to reintroduce gill netting for sea bass in Irish waters; and if so, if he has carried out an analysis of the effect of such fishing practices on wild salmon stocks.
[31243/04]
7 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the responsibilities of Ministers of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26393/04]
1 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the number of freedom of information requests made to his Department in 2004 to date; the number acceded to; the way in which this compares to the same period in 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22480/04]
220 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason the board of management of a school (details supplied) in County Donegal and the architectural and design team are being asked to redesign a comprehensive brief for the school extension which was originally accepted in 2000.
[30726/04]
73 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30272/04]
648 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the statutory charge for directional signs indicating bed and breakfast locations will not be increased to avoid burdening bed and breakfast owners further who already have considerable overheads such as commercial rates which are not paid for by property owners renting accommodation; and if he will liaise with his colleague, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism on the importance of the bed and breakfast sector for the economy in general and the tourism industry in particular.
[30176/04]
622 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the guidelines and best practice advice on tree protection that are available from his Department to local authorities for their subsequent proactive distribution to architects, developers and planners.
[29804/04]
352 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the European Commission propose to disallow EU funds of circa €800,000 from the final claim under the forestry operational programme for agriculture and rural development 1994-1999; and the outcome of the proposal.
[30164/04]
351 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will provide a breakdown (details supplied) of expenditure by or on behalf of the national council for forest research and development during the past 12-month period available; and if she will also provide an estimate of the cost of depreciation of any significant assets in use during the period and of services rendered to the national council for forest research and development by other units within her Department and other Departments or State agencies.
[30163/04]
350 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will provide a breakdown of expenditure and estimated cost of expenditure outstanding by her Department on recently published books (details supplied); and if any of the expenditure is recoverable from the European Union or any other party.
[30162/04]
349 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the pension arrangements in respect of the personnel in the work of the national council for forest research and development.
[30161/04]
348 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the location to which the national council for forest research and development, COFORD, is to be decentralised.
[30160/04]
334 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has satisfied herself with the adequacy of tree protection legislation; and if there are plans to review and update the provisions.
[29805/04]
119 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance the amount of the capital expenditure programme allocation for 2004 which has been spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29986/04]
63 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered the possibility of introducing refundable tax credits; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29985/04]
4 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent work of the high-level group established within his Department in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22475/04]
2 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if the Attorney General gave approval to the subcontracting out to private firms of the drafting of legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27998/04]
137 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the recent development of sensors to calculate exactly the quantity of nitrogen a crop needs; and if she will progress the use of such sensors here.
[29614/04]
25 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the details of her knowledge regarding the shortcomings in relation to the traceability of meat products being imported into Ireland in view of the strict standards on hormones which do not operate elsewhere; and the action she will take to address this issue in the EU, WTO and elsewhere.
[29371/04]
3 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the level of market research and scientific evaluation in her Department undertaken to measure the impact on food production here if the widespread use of municipal and toxic incineration commences.
[29613/04]
629 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department will release letters of formal notice and reasoned opinions in the circumstances outlined by European Commissioner Ms Margot Wallstrom (details supplied).
[28888/04]
369 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the legal costs incurred by the State in the unsuccessful application for annulment of Commission Decision 2000/449/EC of 5 July 2000 excluding from community financing forestry premium grants to Coillte Teoranta.
[29033/04]
368 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food further to Parliamentary Question No. 291 of 9 December 2003 regarding the matter of recouping from Coillte Teoranta forestry premium grants awarded to it but subsequently excluded from community financing under the guarantee section of the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund, and confirmed by a European Court decision (details supplied), if she has received the legal advice referred to by her predecessor; and if she has consequently made a decision regarding seeking the return of these funds from Coillte Teoranta.
[29032/04]
112 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Defence the role Ireland can play in the European armaments, research and military capabilities agency; if Ireland will have a permanent staff at the agency; if it will contribute money to this agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28817/04]
11 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the entire cost to the State to date for the Moriarty tribunal; the estimate for future costs to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22482/04]
5 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the way in which the expenditure by his Department since January 2004 compares with the figure provided in the Estimates; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26391/04]
2 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he has plans to amend the code of conduct for office holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26390/04]
13 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the OECD report on regulatory reform recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23516/04]
6 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the responsibilities of the special political advisers appointed by him; the cost of these appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26389/04]
2 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the projected cost of the communications unit in his Department for 2004; the way in which this compares with 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26388/04]
95 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the measures he intends to put in place to ensure the poverty proofing of all Government policies.
[28177/04]
88 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the consideration being given to introducing tapered social welfare payments for those who are close to or barely exceed means test levels.
[28176/04]
7 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the contacts in place between his Department and the Ireland-America Economic Advisory Board; if he intends to convene a meeting of the board during his next visit to the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26387/04]
3 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the modernisation action plan submitted by his Department to the Civil Service performance verification group in 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26386/04]
209 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if a base station control unit causes a health and safety risk to patients and residents in a nursing home.
[27459/04]
107
D’fhiafraigh Mr. Sargent den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cént-idirphlé a bhí aige le déanaí, nó atá á phleanáil, a bhaineann le soláthar deontas ó Fhoras na Gaeilge go mór mór i dtaobh an nuachtáin Lá a chuireann nuachtán laethúil le 11 phost ar fáil.
[27951/04]