Another thing I have been reading in some sites is that Perl is "slow" compared to Java??

Which sites? How did they determine this? It certainly doesn't reflect my anecdotal experience which is the complete opposite.

Can you create web-services in Perl?

Yes

Can Perl communicate with an Oracle DB?

Yes

Can Perl create a daemon that runs on the background, monitors a directory and FTP files that are dropped to the directory?

And a lot more besides.

Is it possible to create a Windows or Web applications that can have an icon in the Windows System Tray.

No idea. I wouldn't use that OS if you paid me.

Is Perl free and Open source?

I think you would benefit from reading the FAQ. eg: Who supports Perl? Who develops it? Why is it free? and How does Perl compare with other languages like Java, Python, REXX, Scheme, or Tcl?.

How many "frameworks" does Perl have?

Plenty. The number changes all the time.