Parliamentary questions

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

304. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has plans in place to ensure that professionals trained in applied behavioural analysis are consulted on policy decisions that impact on the implementation of applied behaviour analysis and its monitoring to ensure that international standards are maintained. [30840/13]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

305. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will investigate the cost benefit analyses that exist in relation to the implementation of applied behaviour analysis; and if his Department has plans to involve parents in training programmes in applied behaviour analysis, either at the point of diagnosis or later. [30841/13]

School Enrolments

Jonathan O'Brien

91. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children at a school (details supplied) in County Cork in each of the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. [29445/13]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

99. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list, in tabular form, the schools in counties Donegal and Leitrim that have yet to receive their full allocation of resource hours for the 2013-14 academic year; the date on which these schools will receive their allocation of resource hours; and if he will give assurances that his Department will not implement cuts to the allocation of resource hours for these schools. [29524/13]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

200. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the reason significant cuts have been made in multi-disciplinary supports for a school (details supplied) in County Cork; the reason these cuts are being made when demand for services are increasing on an annual basis as a result of the rise in the student population at this school; if he will review these cuts in service provision with a view to reversing the downgrading of service provision at the school; if he will provide assurances that there will not be additional losses of services at this school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29446/13]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

201. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will respond to the view that the progressing disability plan for the integrated services model is fundamentally flawed because it is not child centred and the needs of children have not been assessed prior to the plan being put in place. [29447/13]

Third Level Participation

Jonathan O'Brien

2. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Taoiseach the numbers of students who are currently studying or hold a degree based on the socio-economic groups as defined in the most recent census; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51336/12]

School Accommodation

Jonathan O'Brien

108. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the schools that are to have their prefabs replaced with permanent classrooms as part of the €15 million prefab replacement scheme in 2013/14. [28625/13]

Student Grant Scheme Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

152. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of the running costs of Student Universal Support Ireland from its inception to the end of May 2012; and if he will provide a breakdown of these figures and the way they compare to the projected running costs of SUSI, as originally envisaged by his Department when awarding the tender to City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee. [29305/13]

Special Educational Needs Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

500. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the range of multi-disciplinary supports provided at a school (details supplied) in County Cork for each of the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; if he will provide a breakdown of same by discipline, WTE and hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29448/13]

Special Educational Needs Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

501. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will review the multi-disciplinary supports provided at a school (details supplied) in County Cork to ensure appropriate services to meet the needs of the pupils; if he will provide assurances that no further cuts will be made in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29449/13]

Crime Prevention

Jonathan O'Brien

16. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to explicitly recognise stalking as a ground for applying for a safety order. [28240/13]

Crime Prevention

Jonathan O'Brien

27. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce a specific offence of stalking as has been the case in Scotland and Victoria. [28239/13]

Local Government Reform

Jonathan O'Brien

34. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a decision has been made on the powers that will be transferred from city and county managers to elected councillors; and when the relevant legislation will be drafted. [28069/13]

NAMA Social Housing Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

67. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of units from the National Asset Management Agency housing stock that have been taken under control by local authorities; and the number that are occupied at this moment in time. [27057/13]

Telecommunications Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

76. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps taken to ensure that project Kelvin is marketed and developed on an all Ireland basis for the benefit of all the communities along the Border. [24459/13]

Property Taxation Data

Jonathan O'Brien

152. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance the number of households that have registered their compliance for payment of the property tax by the extended deadline, which ended at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, 29 May 2013. [27246/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

237. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of concessionary mainstream posts he intends to withdraw from schools in the Dublin Central constituency for the 2013/2014 academic year. [26761/13]

Schools Building Projects Status

Jonathan O'Brien

264. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of his Department’s assessment of the suitability of the site proposed for a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow. [27002/13]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

266. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 103 of 28 March 2013, the reason training and supervision in ABA is optional for the teachers of children with autism and is not obligatory, as recommended in the Special Education Support Service: Information on Autism document. [26989/13]

Student Grant Scheme Administration

Jonathan O'Brien

269. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the difficulties being experienced by students trying to access information on third level grants; the reason they are being re-directed from the Students Universal Support Ireland website to studentfinance.ie which has only general information and nothing about specific course applications and when will the SUSI website be fully operational. [27028/13]

Student Grant Scheme Administration

Jonathan O'Brien

270. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will have representatives from Student Universal Support Ireland contact school guidance counsellors to discuss the 2013-2014 grant application process; the reason a guidebook that was published last year has not been re-issued; and his views on whether it is acceptable that guidance counsellors who are tasked with providing advice to students are being curtailed from doing so by the lack of information being provided by the DES. [27029/13]

Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge

Jonathan O'Brien

20. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Jonathan O'Brien den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cathain a bhí an cruinniú deireanach ag an gCoiste Feidhmiúcháin atá freagrach as an Straitéis Fiche Bliain don Ghaeilge, cé chomh minic a tháinig siad le chéile le bliain anuas, cén dul chun cinn atá déanta ag an gcoiste sin; cén teanga oibre a úsáidtear sna cruinnithe [26256/13]

Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge

Jonathan O'Brien

29. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Jonathan O'Brien den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé sásta, i gcomhthéacs na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge, 2010-2030, struchtúr ardleibhéil a chur ar bun idir na húdaráis agus eagraíochtaí pobail na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta, trína bhféadfar moltaí a dhéanamh sula gcuirfear ar aghaidh chuig na hAirí cuí iad. [26258/13]

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

24. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of savings that would be made if salaries to personnel in her Department were capped at €100,000. [25727/13]

National Internship Scheme Administration

Jonathan O'Brien

50. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection the remedial action that is taken when companies are found to be abusing the JobBridge scheme; and her plans to stop displacement in employment as a result of the JobBridge scheme. [25726/13]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

43. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will give consideration to amending the home tuition grant for children with autism attending preschool when there is an option so that 20 hours of 1:1 tuition can be allocated 11.25 hours of 1:1 tuition and 13.75 hours of group tuition per week. [25642/13]

Further Education and Training Programmes Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

46. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the reduction in teaching allocation at a college (details supplied) in Dublin 10 will result in the loss of specialised award winning courses; if he will recognise the unique place of the college in Irish education by providing an enhanced allocation to allow the college to develop new programmes; the reason the students of the college need to rely on UK certification; and the reason students attending the college are neither eligible for the same grants as other institutions nor Erasmus and Leonardo funding. [25643/13]

School Curriculum

Jonathan O'Brien

58. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expand on comments he made recently when speaking at Tullamore College, County Offaly, when he said that science would be compulsory if there were laboratories in each of the State's 723 post primary schools; and the measures he intends to take to address this matter. [25398/13]

Teachers' Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

77. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the numbers of teachers working casual hours or as substitutes who are being paid a rate given to unqualified people, meaning they are paid a daily rate of €115 instead of €159 and where others are being paid the old salary scale instead of the revised scale approved in autumn 2012. [25399/13]

Teachers' Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

251. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts being made to secure all outstanding payments owed to teachers who were contracted by the ISM International School, Tripoli, Libya (details supplied); if he will instruct the State Examinations Commission to firmly request that ISM honour the payments of teacher contracts to be paid prior to commencement of the leaving certificate examinations on 5 June 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25415/13]

Irish Language

Jonathan O'Brien

252. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm if press releases will be released simultaneously in Irish and in English as was outlined in his Department's first language scheme; if his Department will provide a dedicated telephone service to deal with inquiries in Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25416/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

253. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the basis on which he intends to withdraw a teaching post from a school (details supplied) in Dublin 3 for the 2013-14 academic year in view of the fact that the school will have in excess of the required 175 pupils to retain their current level of teaching posts. [25417/13]

Irish Language

Jonathan O'Brien

254. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the second language scheme for his Department, under section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003, was not renewed until recently, particularly in view of the fact that the previous scheme has expired since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25418/13]

Irish Language

Jonathan O'Brien

255. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason his Department has in its second language scheme under section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003, not implemented some of the commitments which were given in the first language scheme, as regards the services which would be available to the public in Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25419/13]

Re-interment of Volunteers

Jonathan O'Brien

535. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will instruct his Department to help locate the remains of the patriot Thomas Kent on the grounds of Cork Prison; if he will work with the Kent family in re-interring any located remains in a more appropriate resting place and that this be done in time for the centenary commemorations of the Easter Rising. [25656/13]

Accident and Emergency Department Waiting Times

Jonathan O'Brien

646. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the reason a minor (details supplied) in County Cork was left in the emergency department of the Mercy Hospital in Cork from 3 p.m. on Friday, 10 May 2013, until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 May 2013; the reason this person has still not been allocated to a child and adolescent appropriate mental health service unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25334/13]

Job Initiatives

Jonathan O'Brien

20. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps taken to create employment to encourage the return of recent emigrants; and the number of jobs created under such schemes. [24466/13]

Emigration Data

Jonathan O'Brien

52. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on the recent report by the National Youth Council entitled Time to go - the Experience and Impact of Emigration on Ireland's Youth. [24467/13]

Mortgage Resolution Processes

Jonathan O'Brien

100. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if, when banks increase the standard variable mortgage rate on a mortgage that is 90 days or more in arrears, they are automatically assessed to not have provided a sustainable solution to the distressed borrower in the context of the target for banks to have offered at least 20% of their distressed mortgage borrowers sustainable solutions by the end of June 2013. [23953/13]

Banking Sector Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

117. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance the responses he has received from banks following the Mercer report; the proposals each bank has made to reduce its remuneration by 6-10% including a breakdown of their proposals regarding cuts to each of those earning less than €100,000, of those earning between €100,000 and €200,000, of those earning between €200,000 and €300,000 and of those earning more than €300,000. [23954/13]

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Jonathan O'Brien

309. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills what will happen to BTEC HND, higher level 6, NQF, courses and the two honours degree programmes, level 8 NQF, which account for over 60% of all programmes delivered in Ballyfermot College, Dublin, should specialised teaching staff be lost to the college as a result of the proposed change to the pupil teacher ratio. [23646/13]

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Jonathan O'Brien

310. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether Ballyfermot College, Dublin, which has a world renowned reputation for developing highly specialised and innovative courses at the right level and duration for specified industries, can survive if continually restrained from developing and delivering the types of courses that it has derived so much success from. [23647/13]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Jonathan O'Brien

311. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason higher education students are ineligible for receiving maintenance grants and not afforded the same rights and privileges as students taking higher education courses in other colleges in the 26 counties. [23648/13]

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Jonathan O'Brien

312. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to fears that highly successful specialised courses that have been developed and run by Ballyfermot College, Dublin, will be jeopardised as a result of the college losing 10-12% of its teaching staff because of the proposed increase to the pupil teacher ratio. [23649/13]

Schools Inspections

Jonathan O'Brien

328. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the annual budget spent on employing school inspectors at primary and post-primary level; if he will list in tabular form the number of inspectors employed by his Department on an annual basis; and if he will provide a breakdown of their salary scales. [24015/13]

Schools Inspections

Jonathan O'Brien

329. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of his Department's annual spend to maintain the school inspectorate system at primary and post primary level. [24016/13]

Academic Year

Jonathan O'Brien

330. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration has been given to increasing the academic year to a third semester; and the potential savings to be accrued from implementing such a measure. [24017/13]

Teachers' Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

331. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the savings that would be made if an annual salary cap of €100,000 were applied to the wages of all teaching staff, third level lecturers and all other personnel employed by his Department. [24018/13]

Third Level Fees

Jonathan O'Brien

332. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total amount spent by the State in subsidising third level fees for the 2012-13 academic year. [24019/13]

Energy Schemes

Jonathan O'Brien

333. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to fully implement the national energy efficiency action plan; and the estimated savings should these measures be applied to all school buildings. [24020/13]

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

334. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of personnel working within his Department and FÁS who received an annual take-home pay based on salary and allowances that exceeded €100,000 annually in the 2012-13 academic year. [24021/13]

Third Level Staff Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

335. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of third level lecturers who receive an annual take-home pay based on salary and allowances that exceeded €100,000 annually in the 2011-12 academic year. [24022/13]

Teachers' Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

336. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of teachers who receive an annual gross pay that exceeded €100,000 annually in the 2011/12 academic year. [24023/13]

Fee Paying Schools

Jonathan O'Brien

337. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the amount paid in State subsidies to fee charging schools for the 2012/13 academic year. [24024/13]

State Examinations

Jonathan O'Brien

338. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the amount spent by his Department to provide substitute cover for teachers assessing oral examinations in the 2011/12 academic year. [24025/13]

Third Level Fees

Jonathan O'Brien

339. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of the total number of third level students for the 2012-13 academic year, to include separately the number of Irish students who paid the student contribution fee, and the number whose student contribution fee was paid by the State via a grant, EU students and international students. [24026/13]

Third Level Fees

Jonathan O'Brien

340. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total amount paid by his Department through student grants to provide for the student contribution fee paid to third level educational institutions for the 2012-13 academic year; and if he will provide the total cost to his Department of subsidising in full third level fees for the 2012/13 academic year including student grants to provide for the student contribution fee. [24027/13]

Foreign Conflicts

Jonathan O'Brien

31. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the recent statements from the Russia and American Governments in which they agreed to work together to end the Syrian conflict and host an international conference on the issue in search of peace; and his views on whether this is a positive step. [23226/13]

Treatment of Prisoners

Jonathan O'Brien

38. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment’s (CPT) report into prison conditions between 31 May to 13 June 2011 in Spain, which was released on 30 April 2013; which found that some Basque political prisoners were subject to mistreatment and torture in Spanish prisons; and if he will raise the issue with the Spanish Government. [23239/13]

Sports Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

81. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide specific details of the total amount of money spent to date on development of the National Sports Campus; the way the funds were spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22852/13]

Rail Network

Jonathan O'Brien

94. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to expand access to the rail network across the State; and his views on recent EU statements which indicate a move towards increased privatisation of rail networks which would only make the State's limited service worse. [22905/13]

Primary Care Centres Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

96. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the roll out of the promised 20 primary care centres at different locations across the State; the number and details of the additional primary care centres that are being provided by direct capital expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22557/13]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Jonathan O'Brien

114. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the action he will take to address the excessive waiting times for outpatient appointments across our hospital system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22555/13]

Irish Language Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

239. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that the office, and employees of the Council for Gaeltacht Education, and Irish Medium Education will not be located in the offices of the NCCA, but that the offices of COGG will be a satellite, located in a separate building, as it is internationally recognised that a dominant language, will impact upon minor languages, and because there will be far more people working for the NCCA which will mean that there be a threat to Irish as the working language of COGG; if he will reconsider this decision as to whether it would be preferable to reverse this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22217/13]

Irish Language Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

240. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline, specifically, which administrative services will the NCCA be able to provide to COGG, in Irish, to a standard equal to that in English; if he had examined whether these services would be available in Irish prior to the decision being made to merge COGG with the NCCA; if he will reconsider this decision as to whether it would be preferable to reverse the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22218/13]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

88. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the findings of the International Review Panel on Initial Education and the recommendations it makes for reform of the current system which if implemented should enhance teacher professionalism by increasing the research capacity of providers of initial teacher education. [21976/13]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

89. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to the criticism of the International Review Panel on Initial Teacher Education that there is an over-reliance on part-time ITE staff and that casualisation is not conducive to high-quality outcomes, particularly in the area of research and systematic quality improvement. [21977/13]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

90. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will be implementing a recommendation of the International Review Panel on initial teacher education that has called on the State to monitor the quality of entrants to all Initial Teacher Education providers, including private ones; the reason the number of entrants to publicly funded institutions remains capped while private-sector numbers remain uncapped at a time when many graduate teachers are unemployed. [21978/13]

School Enrolments

Jonathan O'Brien

84. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the mechanisms in place to ensure that children who have been adopted or fostered are not disadvantaged from enrolling in local schools where their is a high demand due to their inability to enrol at an early age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21613/13]

School Enrolments

Jonathan O'Brien

185. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the mechanisms that are in place to ensure that children who have been adopted or fostered are not disadvantaged from enrolling in local schools where there is a high demand due to their inability to enrol at an early age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21516/13]

Proposed Legislation

Jonathan O'Brien

45. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he intends to bring forward legislation or amending legislation to facilitate separate family law courts. [20852/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

Jonathan O'Brien

7. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason some unfinished estates were excluded from liability for the property tax and some in similar conditions were not. [20493/13]

Local Authority Staff Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

51. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline in tabular form, the number of assistant fire chiefs who were employed in local authorities in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and the cost per year. [20497/13]

Student Grant Scheme Administration

Jonathan O'Brien

108. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of existing personnel who have gained experience administering third level grants under Student Universal Support Ireland during the past 12 months who are to be retained by SUSI for the 2013-14 academic year; and the total number of personnel to be employed by SUSI to process grants when the new cycle of grant applications commence. [20609/13]

Proposed Legislation

Jonathan O'Brien

193. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce an amendment to section 37 of the Employment Equality Act that is needed to enshrine in legislation the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual teachers; and his plans to include provision that will also protect the rights of transgender teachers. [17568/13]

Prospecting Licences

Jonathan O'Brien

112. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the drilling rigs at Catherline bog, County Limerick; if his attention has been drawn to the purpose of these rigs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20189/13]

Arts Council Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

21. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his attention has been drawn to the recent controversy surrounding the Cork Film Festival and the resignations that followed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19370/13]

Údarás na Gaeltachta Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

25. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will discuss the current functioning of the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta; if the board has met yet and in particular if he will make a statement to Dáil Éireann on the representation of Donegal County Council on the board of Údarás; and if he will provide a timescale as to when all places on the board of the Údarás are likely to be filled. [19291/13]

Departmental Properties

Jonathan O'Brien

35. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and locations through which her Department operates; the amount being paid in rent for each unit for each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18846/13]

Anti-Poverty Strategy

Jonathan O'Brien

38. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the implementation of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18847/13]

In-service Training

Jonathan O'Brien

102. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if retired principals are being employed by his Department, the vocational education committees or directly by schools or colleges to provide continual personal development in-service training for teachers; and if he will provide in tabular form the money paid to retired teachers providing this service on an individual basis for the past two years. [19468/13]

Public Sector Staff Recruitment

Jonathan O'Brien

103. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if persons who have worked in the education sector and have availed of retirement under the terms of the Croke Park 1 deal are barred from returning in any way to public service or receiving payments for constituency work, training teachers, principals, deputy principals or school/college management in-service training or delivery of continual personal development of any kind. [19469/13]

Local Enterprise Offices Establishment

Jonathan O'Brien

109. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the stage at which the creation of the new local enterprise offices are at; and when will they be functioning. [18635/13]

Job Creation Data

Jonathan O'Brien

115. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the jobs that have been secured for each county by each of the trade missions in the past 12 months. [18634/13]

State Examinations

Jonathan O'Brien

2. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of students who in 2012-13 were refused a waiver by the State Examinations Commission for the assessment of spelling, grammar and punctuation in language subjects when sitting their leaving certificate examination; the number of these children who were granted a waiver to assist them when sitting their junior certificate examination; and if he has the authority to intervene directly and overrule a decision of the State Examinations Commission when disputed cases are appealed. [17828/13]

Fee Paying Schools

Jonathan O'Brien

23. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures, if any, he intends to implement in response a report into the 55 private fee-charging schools in the State which have more than €81m in discretionary income to spend on extra teachers, ancillary staff, state-of-the-art facilities and extra-curricular activities; and his plans to reduce or end the paying of State subsidies to these schools. [17562/13]

Croke Park Agreement Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

43. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the TUI's rejection of the Croke Park II agreement; and if he will review the current proposals tabled by the Labour Relations Commission in the view of the anger expressed by teachers to cuts and changes to employment conditions imposed across the second level sector. [17561/13]

Children's Strategy

Jonathan O'Brien

141. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the cross-departmental consultations on the proposed new children and young people's policy framework have concluded as anticipated by end of March, 2013; if the analysis of the public consultation is nearing completion; her now anticipated time-frame for the publication of the new policy framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17275/13]

Early Child Care Education

Jonathan O'Brien

1094. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will respond to the findings of an evaluation of an early years service that is coordinated by Childhood Development Initiative which showed that in countries such as Finland, well-funded pre-school supports can help children overcome many of the barriers that otherwise prevent them from achieving their potential at school; and if she has plans to implement some of the findings contained in the report. [11747/13]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Jonathan O'Brien

1294. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of people currently waiting for hip-replacement operations in the public health system; and the percentage that have been waiting for this operation for more than six months and for more than 12 months. [17191/13]

Fiscal Policy

Jonathan O'Brien

45. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if, in view of the joint statement issued by An Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister regarding the promotion of prosperity and rebalancing the economy in Northern Ireland, he has promoted with the British Government, the matter of the transfer of fiscal powers from London to Stormont including the ability to vary corporation tax. [15537/13]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

103. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he accepts the advice of the special education support service, as presented in its document, Special Education Support Service Information on Autism, which outlines the way his Department should provide ongoing supervised training from professionally qualified behaviour analysts to teachers working with children; and if his Department does not provide this type of supervision, the reason guidelines issued by the SESS are being ignored. [15793/13]

Road Maintenance

Jonathan O'Brien

66. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he will take to aid local authorities to tackle serious road maintenance issues and to penalise and hold to account local authorities which do not work adequately to address these problems. [15057/13]

Tourism Capital Investment Programme

Jonathan O'Brien

78. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide specific details of the way he expects the recent extension of the employment and investment incentive scheme to encourage investment in tourism accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15310/13]

Teachers' Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

236. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the implications for substitute teachers arising from recent circulars issued by his Department that stated any work conducted prior to 2011 must have been in a qualified capacity and teachers must have been registered with the Teaching Council during that time; if this change will mean teachers paid under the old guidelines have their pay reassessed retrospectively; and the estimated savings as a result of this change in the payment guidelines. [14770/13]

Budget 2013 Impact

Jonathan O'Brien

34. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance the consideration that was given to rural proofing in the design of Budget 2013. [14071/13]

Banking Sector Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

45. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance his views on the fact that even after a 10% cut the salary of the CEO of Bank of Ireland will still be more than €500,000. [14084/13]

Provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services

Jonathan O'Brien

61. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will protect funding for not-for-profit organisations that provide neuro-rehabilitation supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13783/13]

Provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services

Jonathan O'Brien

122. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will invest in the implementation of the neuro-rehabilitation strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13782/13]