66 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government further to the publication of the 2003 discussion document on controlling SO2 and NOX, when will the national strategy for the attainment of the national ceilings in these gases be detailed and published.
[16602/04]
15 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will draw up a plan and advise potato growers, in particular, on the way in which to dispose of or re-utlilise many large synthetic seed potatoes bags which are being piled in the corner of certain fields and burned in the absence of advice from his Department.
[14835/04]
6 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department is making financial provision for the measures needed to counteract some of the damaging effects of climate change in view of the fact that Dublin City Council alone estimates a need for €150 million for coastal defence work and that the Chartered Insurance Institute world-wide says that with present trends, losses due to climate change will outstrip global GDP in 60 years.
[16809/04]
1 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the 22 April 2004 CSO Census of Population figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15609/04]
54 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to ensure that those who employ part-time and voluntary workers in vulnerable sectors, such as transitional housing, obtain Garda clearance for their staff.
[16348/04]
49 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to improve the Garda radio structure in view of the assertion in the current issue of the Garda Review that it is on the verge of collapse.
[16349/04]
14 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his discussions with the French Prime Minister, Mr. Jean Pierre Raffarin, in May 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16448/04]
12 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent discussions with other EU Heads of Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16446/04]
210 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the way in which category incineration, thermal treatment, waste to energy belongs in terms of reuse, recycling and recovery.
[16103/04]
209 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Ireland’s progress in meeting the timetable on the EU Directive on assessment and management of environmental noise, commonly referred to as the mapping directive.
[16101/04]
135 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he expects the groundwater protection scheme to be completed in view of the fact that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government calls the scheme a critical element in his draft guidelines for sustainable rural development, although only 11 countries have been completed.
[16107/04]
109 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress of the process of revising, extending and consolidating the Forestry Acts; and the extent of public consultation.
[16106/04]
108 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will provide the figures on which his Department makes an averaging approach to take account of differences in rates of carbon emissions and sequestration between mineral and peat soils, as stated in a recent written reply to Parliamentary Question No. 225 of 27 April 2004.
[16105/04]
107 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the hectarage of reforestation that has taken place inside areas designated as acid sensitive since the introduction of the acidification protocol; and if he can give an assurance that the protocol’s safeguards are being applied to reforestation as well as initial afforestation.
[16104/04]
16 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Transport when he intends to publish a study, details supplied, on the future financing of Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports; and his views on the matter.
[15946/04]
106 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to take specific initiatives to educate the public and assess their views on genetically modified food production; and his views on the feedback from debate in the UK on this issue.
[14822/04]
103 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children when he intends to act on the recommendations contained in the fluoridation forum’s report; if he intends to appoint individuals who have anti-fluoridation views as part of the review body; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15723/04]
11 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the agreement or understanding between the Government and Deputy Cooper-Flynn; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15610/04]
4 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his address to the IBEC conference on regulation in April 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14570/04]
380 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will report on correspondence received by his Department regarding plans for a much-needed library in Rush, County Dublin; and if he will report on the progress being made with regard to this proposal to date.
[15195/04]
314 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason health boards do not comply with legislation on the prompt payment of accounts and cause great hardship to small companies, such as those that supply prosthetic products and leg extension stents, providing essential services and putting a question mark over continued existence.
[15724/04]
5 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the contents of the new road map for Northern Ireland that he discussed with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in early May 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13458/04]
77 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will provide an update on the threat posed by the spread of Australian and Irish flatworms to Irish agriculture; if he will review his policy of 2003 on this matter which envisaged no measures to counter the threat; and in view of the willingness of the public to support measures against FMD, if he will become proactive in a similar way to counter the flatworm threat.
[14934/04]
74 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the need for tree felling licences has led to the practice of existing mature trees being left off drawings, hence evading planning control, and consequently resulting in the destruction of aesthetic and environmental capital; and if he has plans to ensure the prosecution of offenders and monitoring of these abuses.
[14908/04]
73 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his plans to review the system for tree felling licences in urban areas, particularly the complication of the multi-agency involvement of the Garda, the local planning authority and his Department.
[14907/04]
43 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the extent of discussions which have taken place with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on the prospect of the island maintaining a genetically modified free status; and the outcome of these discussions.
[14821/04]
10 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the situation regarding the nitrates directive in view of the fact that many farmers are complaining that the Government is giving neither guidance nor assistance to ensure compliance.[14826/04]
92 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had a meeting with development agencies on the subject of Ireland’s overseas development aid contribution; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13792/04]
61 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers in violation of the Geneva Conventions has been raised with the United States Administration by the Government or by him on behalf of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14667/04]
383 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he will take following his consideration of the consultants’ study commissioned in September 2003 to recommend appropriate economic instruments to tackle littering following the findings of the litter monitoring body.
[14116/04]
273 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if funding can be granted for the necessary improvements required to allow the ferry from Howth harbour to Ireland’s Eye to be allowed to land visitors there; and his views on whether it is an important wildlife and recreational amenity for Dubliners and tourists alike.
[14461/04]
87 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if there are plans to introduce a more flexible student friendly system of educational progression for post secondary students.
[14379/04]
74 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if there are plans to upgrade the system of credit accumulation and transfer between colleges as part of the development of a national qualifications framework.
[14378/04]
17 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Chinese Prime Minister, Mr. Wen Jiabao; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14569/04]
11 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the official foreign travel he has planned before the summer recess 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13457/04]
9 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on bilateral meetings with other EU leaders during the accession ceremonies in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13454/04]
30 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the nature of the recent talks she had with the US trade representative, Mr Bob Zoellick; if common agreement was reached on a possible return to negotiations on the stalled Doha trade round; and the position the European Union is taking with regard to the pursuance of the Singapore issues and development issues in the attempts to restart multilateral talks.
[13910/04]
20 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the persons who attended the recent informal meeting of the EU Council of Competition Ministers in Dromoland Castle; and the agenda for the meeting.
[13909/04]
210 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she knew that when a person in receipt of a disability payment is admitted to hospital for depression their payment is stopped; and whether the measure causes hardship to the patient and their carer because many of the needs of the patient, previously paid for by the allowance, are no longer met and there is an extra burden of paying travel expenses for a carer to visit the patient.
[13730/04]
50 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the assumptions his Department is making on the likely price of gas in five, ten or 15 years’ time; and if his attention has been drawn to the increasing body of international evidence showing that gas prices are likely to become highly volatile within that time frame.
[13693/04]
47 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the plans he has to ensure all ports and harbours have reception facilities for waste derived from port and marine vessel activities as required under international agreements.
[12297/04]
9 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if the high level group on terrorism has met since the Madrid bombings; if not, when it intends to meet again; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9109/04]
222 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science cén méid bunscoileanna a tógadh le cúig bliana anuas, and if he will give the breakdown on the basis of denominational or other management structures along with gender or age range profiles for the pupils in each case.
[13639/04]
1 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach when the next meeting of the cross-departmental team on infrastructure and public private partnerships will be held; the likely agenda of the meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8596/04]