Parliamentary questions

Departmental Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

125. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the discussions he has held regarding the ceasing of funding for Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta Teo from the end of December 2013 which provides support and advice to schools in Gaeltacht regions; and his plans to address the situation. [42189/13]

Construction Contracts

Jonathan O'Brien

21. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the code of practice for adjudication under the Construction Contracts Bill will be published. [42521/13]

Small and Medium Enterprises Supports

Jonathan O'Brien

111. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the take-up of the partial loan guarantee scheme and microenterprise loan scheme for each year that it has been in operation. [42621/13]

Credit Guarantee Scheme Review

Jonathan O'Brien

112. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the findings and recommendations of the external review of the partial loan guarantee scheme; and if he will make public the full review. [42622/13]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications

Jonathan O'Brien

113. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in view of the low levels of take up of the microenterprise loan scheme, if he will consider bringing forward the fundamental review of the programme. [42623/13]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

114. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the set up costs and ongoing administrative costs per year associated with the microenterprise loan scheme. [42624/13]

Bullying in Schools

Jonathan O'Brien

58. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons circular 045/2013 has not been placed on a statutory footing. [42470/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

61. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has carried out an impact analysis on increasing the pupil-teacher ratio in primary and post-primary schools. [42471/13]

Departmental Appointments

Jonathan O'Brien

90. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired or non-serving teachers or school principals or deputy principals who have been appointed to work with his Department to roll out the new junior cycle reforms; the years in which the retirees took up retirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42188/13]

Literacy and Numeracy Strategy

Jonathan O'Brien

201. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the proposed spring 2014 standardised tests in literacy and numeracy for second level second year students are on schedule to be carried out; and if his Department is confident that these tests, which are an integral part of his strategy for literacy and numeracy, will be conducted for English literacy, litearthacht sa Ghaeilge, numeracy and Uimhearthacht. [41878/13]

Departmental Programmes

Jonathan O'Brien

210. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of any projects or programmes initiated by his Department which were ended or abandoned before completion; the costs and duration of each of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41959/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

266. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department collates figures for teacher absenteeism in primary and secondary schools; and the way this information is collated and the headline results generated. [42526/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

267. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a study carried out by the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board on teacher absenteeism; his views on the finding of the report which indicated that the average rate of absenteeism was 3.4%; and the way these findings compare with other similar studies that he may be aware of carried out by other relevant authorities across the State. [42527/13]

Central Bank of Ireland Investigations

Jonathan O'Brien

25. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he will instruct the Central Bank of Ireland to listen to and forward on its comments on the rest of the Anglo Irish Bank recordings to which it has access to the Garda and Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. [41510/13]

Overseas Development Aid Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

23. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way his Department is implementing commitments it has entered into as part of the International Aid Transparency Initiative processes. [41149/13]

Human Rights Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

35. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the continued widespread human rights abuses by the Bahraini regime; the recent announcement of an Arab Court of Human Rights to be based in Bahrain when it is established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41159/13]

Public Transport Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

124. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the actions he has taken to investigate the effects of allowing private operators to compete for routes with Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann on overall service and its social obligations. [40910/13]

Employment Data

Jonathan O'Brien

146. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Taoiseach the proportion of overall employment which is accounted for by public service employment for the most recent five years for which data is available. [40676/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

266. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of hours the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board has met since it was formed this year. [40775/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

267. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his view on whether it is sufficient that the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board meets once a month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40776/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

268. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider directing the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board to hold meetings on a series of consecutive days until it has resolved outstanding issues. [40777/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

269. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a progress report on the work of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board to date including costs and expenses claimed by each member. [40778/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

270. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board has determined the range of approved services within four classes of service stipulated in the Act, that is, mental health services including counselling and psychological support, health and personal social services, education services and housing services; the criteria by reference to which it will make decisions in respect of applications to those services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40779/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

271. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the salary being paid to the chief executive officer of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board will be deducted from the €110 million RISF. [40780/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

272. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which funds from the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund will be released to survivors of institutional abuse; and if the board has the requisite powers to refund former residents of institutions who have expended personal funds on health and other services stipulated in the Act before or since the establishment day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40781/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

273. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if all 15,000 names and addresses of former residents of institutions who received awards at the Residential Institutions Redress Board have been transferred to the RISF board; if he will state the precise date of the data transfer and format or formats used for the transfer and explain the reason such data transfer appears to have occurred before any applications have been considered by the RISF board; if he will provide assurances regarding the security of the data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40782/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Establishment

Jonathan O'Brien

274. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of money transferred from the former Education Finance Board to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund on the establishment day; if he will explain the way funds have been expended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40783/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

275. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he believes the 2012 Act establishing the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund contains the requisite powers to allow the RISF board to continue funding annually renewable life-skills courses for qualifying former residents of institutions commenced under the authority of the former Education Finance Board, the dissolved body, but not completed or renewed due to depletion of funds at that board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40784/13]

Residential Institutions Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

276. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will meet the group Right to Peace around the issue of statutory redress services for survivors of institutional abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40785/13]

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

297. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total salary cost for each Department for the most recent five years for which data is available. [40679/13]

Job Losses

Jonathan O'Brien

306. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the jobs lost in Industrial Development Agency client companies for each salary band from €20,000, in bands of €10,000, for each year since 2007. [40674/13]

Job Creation Data

Jonathan O'Brien

307. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Agency for which a salary is in excess of €150,000 per year. [40675/13]

Job Creation Data

Jonathan O'Brien

308. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Agency in customer care, international sales and research and development for each year since 2007. [40677/13]

Job Creation Data

Jonathan O'Brien

309. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Agency that require a foreign language to native speaker level for each year since 2007. [40678/13]

Hospital Services

Jonathan O'Brien

32. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to address the waiting lists for rehabilitation services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40053/13]

Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists

Jonathan O'Brien

56. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to address the waiting lists for orthodontic services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40054/13]

EU Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

21. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria for selecting eligibility for funding via the ERF and EIF funding mechanism. [39753/13]

EU Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

33. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of the ERF and EIF funding allocated to Ireland that has been spent and the amount remaining. [39752/13]

Expenditure Reviews

Jonathan O'Brien

45. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress made on the proposal contained in the comprehensive review of expenditure 2012 -2014 on shared finance services, and HR services across national cultural institutions; and the savings that would be made by the implementation of this proposal. [38508/13]

Expenditure Reviews

Jonathan O'Brien

56. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress made on the proposal contained in the comprehensive review of expenditure 2012 -2014 on having a single event manager post which could promote the facilities in the national cultural institutions under one brand; the progress and the savings that would be made by the implementation of this proposal [38507/13]

Transition Year Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

292. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the schools in 2011/12 that provided voluntary and compulsory transitional year programmes; the number of teachers it takes to implement transitional year in State funded schools and the estimated cost to the Department for implementing transitional year on an annual basis at post-primary level. [37315/13]

Teacher Training Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

293. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary school teachers who participated in summer training schemes in 2011/12; the amount of days in lieu awarded to PS teachers who partook in these summer schools and the amount spent by the DES in providing temporary cover for those teachers who had received time in lieu. [37316/13]

Minimum School Entry Age

Jonathan O'Brien

294. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has discussed with Minister for Education in Northern Ireland the possibility of standardising the minimum age for when primary school students in both jurisdictions are eligible to transfer to post-primary school. [37317/13]

Student Grant Scheme Delays

Jonathan O'Brien

390. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that there will be no delay in processing higher education grants this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38365/13]

Teacher Substitution Scheme

Jonathan O'Brien

398. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total cost per annum to the supervision and substitution scheme in the education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38409/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

407. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to amend the system of paying salaries of teachers in fee-paying schools. [38570/13]

Planning Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

457. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason for the delay in ensuring that the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin, is wheelchair accessible; the date on which the Journey of Light Memorial Project will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38253/13]

Shared Ownership Scheme

Jonathan O'Brien

948. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his attempts to address the needs of those who entered into shared ownership schemes with councils but have seen their financial circumstances change, while being unable to claim rent supplement for the part of their home that they rent from the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38284/13]

Defence Forces Properties

Jonathan O'Brien

11. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Defence the security measures in place and their cost at closed Army bases. [35930/13]

Hydraulic Fracturing Policy

Jonathan O'Brien

38. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the Environmental Protection Agency will begin work on its report on unconventional gas exploration and extraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35031/13]

Teacher Recruitment

Jonathan O'Brien

85. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify that when he says the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012) and that the deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are, in the first instance, a matter for the school management authorities he is confirming that a principal of a post-primary school and its board of management have the discretion, under the existing DES procedures, to give resource hours to a mainstream teacher instead of a resource teacher. [35603/13]

Waste Management Regulations

Jonathan O'Brien

84. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a detailed update on his Department’s development of a new domestic waste policy setting out a range of proposals to significantly revise the existing regulatory regime; and when he expects this process to conclude. [33805/13]

Regeneration Projects Status

Jonathan O'Brien

103. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the delivery of housing units as part of the Limerick regeneration project. [33781/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

353. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected annual savings to be made in increasing the pupil-teacher ratio in Gaeltacht schools from September 2013 onwards. [34831/13]

Exchequer Savings

Jonathan O'Brien

354. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected annual savings that are to be made in cutting the Gaeltacht grant for teachers delivering the school curriculum through the medium of Irish; the teaching through Irish allowance and the island allowance. [34832/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

355. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of gaelscoileanna affected by the changes to the pupil-teacher ratio from September 2013 onwards; and if he will provide details of those schools that will lose a teaching post as a result of the change in staffing schedules. [34833/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

356. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views that the favourable pupil-teacher ratio for gaelscoileanna reflected the greater challenges facing small and developing gaelscoileanna implementing a full curriculum through Irish and the inequalities relating to the lack of resources and supports at these schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34834/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

357. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the decision to increase the pupil-teacher ratio in gaelscoileanna impedes schools in Gaeltacht areas delivering the curriculum through Irish; and his views on the concerns that some schools will require an additional 20 plus pupils to maintain their current staffing levels. [34835/13]

Gaelscoileanna Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

358. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on his plans to overhaul the school admissions policies and the way he intends to bring to an end the practice of Irish-medium schools prioritising the enrolment of pupils from Irish-speaking families at primary and second level. [34836/13]

School Textbooks Rental Scheme

Jonathan O'Brien

365. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts being made by his Department to ensure that all resource material and relevant textbooks relating to the school curriculum at primary and post-primary level are made available to teachers and pupils. [35272/13]

Physical Education

Jonathan O'Brien

372. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to concerns raised by the National Activity Planning Group that physical education will be downgraded from 180 hours to 100 hours over the three years of the junior certificate curriculum; and what are his plans for PE at post-primary level. [35372/13]

Credit Guarantee Scheme Applications

Jonathan O'Brien

43. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the target for drawing down from the mircoenterprise loan fund and the credit guarantee scheme for the coming year. [33510/13]

Credit Guarantee Scheme Application Numbers

Jonathan O'Brien

58. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the level of the value of the take-up of credit guarantees as a percentage of the maximum value of €150 million for last year; and the target drawn down of guarantees for the coming year. [33511/13]

Child Benefit Rates

Jonathan O'Brien

64. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will guarantee the current rates of child benefit as a universal payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33251/13]

Youth Guarantee

Jonathan O'Brien

113. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the recommendation by the National Youth Council that her Department develop a strand within the youth guarantee scheme to support young persons with limited qualifications who are long-term unemployed; and her plans to act on this recommendation. [33250/13]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

206. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills in a case where a post-primary school is over quota, if the principal and Board of Management of that school have the discretion to decide the way learning support and resource teaching hours are allocated; his Department's circular/policy document that school boards of management must adhere to when allocating resource hours to mainstream teachers at post-primary level; the policy at post-primary level that informs principals and boards of management how to give hours allocated to pupils with special needs to mainstream teachers instead of resource teachers; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a qualified resource teacher can lose his or her job as a result of the hours he or she should be teaching being given to a mainstream teacher because the school is in an over-quota position. [33071/13]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

207. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of his decision to maintain the level of resource hours to those allocated in 2012/2013 the reason a college (details supplied) in Dublin 1 is receiving less resource hours for the new academic year starting in September 2013. [33072/13]

Child Poverty

Jonathan O'Brien

24. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will set out and provide details on the process for the selection of the sites, programmes, interventions, and supports to be provided under the new area based approach to the child poverty initiative in 2013. [32593/13]

Child Protection Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

57. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures she will take to address the deficiencies in social work provision in Health Service Executive North Lee area; her plans to implement the recommendations arising from the Ombudsman for Children's Investigation of April 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32594/13]

Back to School Costs

Jonathan O'Brien

2. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to implement the recommendations of the Oireachtas Select Committee on Education who have proposed that pupils should not be obliged to wear crested uniforms and schools should end the practice of using work plans and if he will present a timetable for when these measures will be implemented. [32342/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

7. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of resource teachers that will lose their jobs or have their teaching hours reduced in the 2013/14 academic year; if he will confirm that principals and school boards of management have the flexibility to employ mainstream teachers without full-time timetables into roles that should be filled by specially trained resource teachers. [32206/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

52. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to the findings contained in the Education at a Glance 2013 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development which shows the proportion of public expenditure on education in Ireland fell from 13.7% to 9.7% in the decade between 2000 and 2010; and if the failure of the Government to ring-fence funding for education will prevent the building of a knowledge-based economy. [32205/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

97. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of release days from full-time teaching duties afforded by his Department to teaching principals; his plans to increase these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32393/13]

School Management

Jonathan O'Brien

98. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the training that was provided for members of boards of management at primary and post-primary level; the funding his Department provided for this training; the evaluation of this training that has been undertaken by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32394/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

99. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reduce the average class size in primary schools in Ireland, which according to OECD Education at a Glance 2013 is the second highest of EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32395/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

100. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in March 2009; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in September 2009; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in September 2010; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in September 2011; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in September 2012; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools in March 2009; and the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools in September 2009. [32396/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

101. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools in September 2011; and the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools in September 2012. [32397/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

102. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the number of Assistant Principal posts returned to primary schools and post primary schools each year as a result of the limited alleviation introduced for schools acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium. [32398/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

103. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will instruct his Department to carry out a review of the workload of principal teachers with particular emphasis on the role of teaching principals in view of reports that increasing workload pressure, responsibility and accountability is leading to a general negativity about the role of school leadership. [32399/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

104. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary principals between the age of 21 and 30; the number of primary principals between the age of 31 and 40; the number of primary principals between the age of 41 and 50; the number of primary principals between the age of 51 and 60; and the number of primary principals older than 60. [32400/13]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

105. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals against suspension in post-primary schools that were taken by parents of children with special needs; the number of section 29 appeals against expulsion in post-primary schools that were taken by parents of children with special needs; the number of section 29 appeals against suspension in primary schools that were taken by parents of children with special needs; and the number of section 29 appeals against expulsion in primary schools that were taken by parents of children with special needs. [32401/13]

School Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

106. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the financial support being provided to each of the managerial bodies at primary and post-primary level in each of the past five years. [32402/13]

Departmental Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

107. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the financial support being provided to the National Parents Council Primary and the National Parents Council Post Primary in each of the past five years. [32403/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

108. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the number of release days from full-time teaching duties afforded by his Department to teaching principals; his plans to increase these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32404/13]

Bank Charges

Jonathan O'Brien

74. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance his views on the recent increase in bank charges by AIB; and if he has had any contact with the bank regarding this increase. [31884/13]

State Banking Sector

Jonathan O'Brien

137. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he intends to sell his shares in AIB and Bank of Ireland in the next 12 months; and if he will outline his strategy in disposing of his shares in the pillar banks. [31870/13]

Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme

Jonathan O'Brien

461. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families and children who will receive the back to school clothing and footwear allowance automatically in 2013; the amount of money her Department has allocated for this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31999/13]

Public Transport Initiatives

Jonathan O'Brien

18. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to work with LUAS to allow for passengers to bring their bikes on board at off-peak times and to generally encourage accommodation of cyclists on public transport. [31038/13]

Sports Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

20. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown of the way the €43.798 million allocated to the Irish Sports Council in 2013 is to be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30948/13]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

127. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if schools have the discretion to allocate resource hours to teachers who have no specialised training for teaching children with special educational needs; and if he will clarify the regulations that relate to the supports provided to children with special needs in a mainstream school setting. [31359/13]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

128. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills in a case where a school is over quota, if the principal and board of management of that school have the discretion to decide the way in which resource hours are allocated; if it is his view that teachers who have not received specialised training can provide the type of tuition and duty of care that is necessary for children with special needs in a mainstream school setting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31360/13]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

129. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason schools are expected to go through the process of applying for an allocation of resource hours which can then be allocated to non-qualified resource teaching staff. [31361/13]

Children in Armed Conflict

Jonathan O'Brien

32. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the recently released annual report of the UN Secretary General on children and armed conflict, which provides information regarding grave violations committed against children in 22 country situations; his views regarding the high number of persistent perpetrators named in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30763/13]

Overseas Development Aid Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

41. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the topics that were discussed at the Conference on Education and Development in Brussels, attended by Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello; and if he will use his position to advocate for education to be a central theme in discussions on the post-2015 global development framework. [30782/13]

Hospitals Policy

Jonathan O'Brien

98. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the opportunity that will be provided for stakeholders to engage in the process of consultation provided for in the Higgins Report on Hospital Groups; the timeframe and proposed structure of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30412/13]

Obesity Strategy

Jonathan O'Brien

123. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health his plans for the introduction of a national strategy for a childhood obesity prevention and intervention service; if he has engaged directly or, if not, will engage with the anchors/providers of the W82GO childhood obesity treatment programme at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30413/13]

Teacher Recruitment

Jonathan O'Brien

248. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if in the case of a two teacher school, principal plus one, the second teacher is entitled to a deputy principal allowance and or special duties post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30189/13]

Schools Building Projects Status

Jonathan O'Brien

251. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills when construction work will begin on a permanent school building for a school (details supplied) in Dublin 18; and the projected deadline for the completion of the new building. [30209/13]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

302. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that policy decisions regarding the science of applied behaviour analysis for the treatment of autism have been made without consultations with professional bodies representing this science; the circumstances under which it is considered appropriate not to engage with representatives of a professional discipline that has an extensive database of findings showing it to have substantial success in the treatment of autism; and the steps he will take to correct the misinformation on applied behaviour analysis that has led to the closure of schools that functioned as ABA schools. [30838/13]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

303. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to consult with those states in the United States of America that have mandated insurance companies to pay for the treatment of autism that is based on applied behaviour analysis. [30839/13]