Parliamentary questions

Teachers' Professional Development

Carol Nolan

119. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the current directive of the INTO with respect to the Droichead scheme will have an impact on the further recruitment of resource teachers in order to implement the new resource allocation model for children with special educational needs in September 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5009/17]

Teachers' Professional Development

Carol Nolan

120. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the INTO has communicated its concerns to his Department in respect of the Droichead programme; the steps he has taken to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5010/17]

Brexit Issues

Carol Nolan

121. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the main concerns of the education sector as discussed in the sectoral dialogues on Brexit; the steps his Department proposes to take in addressing these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5011/17]

School Curriculum

Carol Nolan

122. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to roll out the politics and society subject in secondary schools; the timeframe for same; if the subject will be available in all schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5012/17]

School Curriculum

Carol Nolan

123. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of the modern foreign languages strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5013/17]

EU Funding

Carol Nolan

124. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools and other educational institutions or programmes in receipt of INTERREG funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5014/17]

EU Funding

Carol Nolan

125. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of EU funds provided to his Department for the purposes of cross-Border education projects; the number of projects in receipt of such funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5015/17]

Public Procurement Contracts Data

Carol Nolan

126. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of procurement contracts over each of the past five years over a value of or equivalent to €25,000 that have been awarded by his Department to companies based in Northern Ireland or Britain; the value of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5016/17]

Teacher Recruitment

Carol Nolan

127. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the areas in which teacher supply is an issue; and the actions his Department will take as a result of the report prepared by the Teaching Council on the issue. [5017/17]

Programme for Government Initiatives

Carol Nolan

128. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in the review of adult and further education referenced in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5018/17]

Insurance Coverage

Carol Nolan

129. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there has been a directive issued by his Department in respect of the preference for a company (details supplied) as an insurance provider for schools; if this matter is subject to central procurement; if it is possible for schools to arrange insurance with an alternative provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5019/17]

Psychological Assessments

Carol Nolan

130. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 67 of 19 October 2016, if he will provide similar data in respect of the number of assessments only, as opposed to casework, undertaken by NEPS psychologists for the years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2014-15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5020/17]

Skills Development

Carol Nolan

131. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of tourism and hospitality skills training positions provided for in 2015 and 2016 by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5021/17]

Skills Development

Carol Nolan

132. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding provided for tourism and hospitality skills training in 2015 and 2016 by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5022/17]

Skills Development

Carol Nolan

133. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the agency or Government body which has oversight and responsibility for hospitality and tourism skills development here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5023/17]

Hospital Procedures

Carol Nolan

250. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the reason hip operations have been cancelled at Tullamore Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5027/17]

Third Level Courses Availability

Carol Nolan

315. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason the funding for the intergenerational learning programme in DCU, Dublin City University, has been withdrawn; the total value of funding that has previously been allocated to the programme on an annual basis; the number of persons that benefitted from the programme; if his Department will consider reinstating the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5029/17]

Road Improvement Schemes

Carol Nolan

324. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider granting additional funding to Offaly County Council in order to carry out a road restructuring programme in respect of roads built on bogland that are currently in a poor state of repair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5028/17]

Home Help Service

Carol Nolan

515. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health when approved home help hours will be granted to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3956/17]

Junior Cycle Reform

Carol Nolan

76. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the junior cycle profile of achievement will be different to the junior certificate; if it will be issued to students at the same time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3710/17]

Junior Cycle Reform

Carol Nolan

77. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he has put in place to ensure that junior certificate English students will not be disadvantaged should the ASTI vote to reject the proposals resulting from talks with his Department in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3711/17]

School Management

Carol Nolan

78. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason his Department has refused a school (details supplied) permission to establish a third stream in view of the clear demand for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3712/17]

School Transport Review

Carol Nolan

79. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a review of the implementation of the value for money for school transport recommendations has ever been carried out; if his Department intends to modify these in any way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3713/17]

School Transport Data

Carol Nolan

80. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of students, other than those with special educational needs, who avail of school transport either on concessionary or non-concessionary basis over each of the past ten years, by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3714/17]

School Transport Data

Carol Nolan

81. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school transport bus routes in operation, other than those for children with special educational needs and those availed of under the remote area grant, over each of the past ten years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3715/17]

School Transport Data

Carol Nolan

82. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school bus routes which have been eliminated or reduced due to lower numbers of eligible pupils, resulting in the loss of school transport for concessionary students previously availing of the service over each of the past ten years by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3716/17]

School Transport Data

Carol Nolan

83. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school bus routes which have been downsized as a result of normal operations over each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3717/17]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Carol Nolan

84. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of resource teachers who are currently on restricted probation as a result of the directive by the INTO; his plans to address this issue; the number of resource teachers who are currently teaching in schools without full probation; the steps taken by his Department to date to resolve the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3718/17]

National Training Fund

Carol Nolan

85. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected revenue and expenditure of the national training fund over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3719/17]

Hospital Investigations

Carol Nolan

146. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has still not received the results of their scan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3593/17]

Hospital Procedures

Carol Nolan

147. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will be allowed transfer to another hospital to have an urgent operation carried out for which they have been waiting two years; if the person can undergo the operation sooner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3594/17]

Fuel Prices

Carol Nolan

200. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason the price of diesel is increasing despite the fact that the price of crude oil is decreasing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3595/17]

DEIS Scheme

Carol Nolan

42. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of the development of the new plan for educational inclusion. [1889/17]

National Training Fund

Carol Nolan

63. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans relating to the surplus of the National Training Fund. [1890/17]

Student Universal Support Ireland Administration

Carol Nolan

359. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which he proposes to resolve the current situation of homeless students estranged from their family and refused the special rate of maintenance grant despite being below the threshold, such as a person (details supplied) who is currently in emergency accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41130/16]

Teacher Exchange Scheme

Carol Nolan

360. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the outcome of the review of the teacher exchange programme; if this review will be published; if his Department will consider establishing a means whereby a permanent teacher may transfer between schools without losing job security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41131/16]

Psychological Assessments

Carol Nolan

361. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of complaints received by the National Educational Psychological Service from either schools or parents between January 2009 and December 2013, regarding the scheme for commissioning of psychological assessment, SCPA, psychologists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41263/16]

State Examinations Commission

Carol Nolan

362. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of examiners and assessors appointed by the State Examinations Commission who have not been reappointed due to failure to comply with protocol for each of the past five years; the procedure in place to ensure that examiners and assessors comply with protocols in relation to confidentiality and fair and accurate assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41264/16]

State Examinations Commission

Carol Nolan

363. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of examiners and assessors appointed by the State Examinations Commission who have been re-appointed with a warning due to concerns about compliance with protocol over each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41265/16]

State Examinations Commission

Carol Nolan

364. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of examiners and assessors appointed by the State Examinations Commission who have been re-appointed at a lower level in their respective subjects due to concerns about compliance with protocol for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41266/16]

State Examinations Commission

Carol Nolan

365. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of examiners and assessors who have been appointed by the State Examinations Commission; the average remuneration received by each; the cost to the Exchequer of providing examiners and assessors each year for State examinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41267/16]

State Examinations Commission

Carol Nolan

366. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the quality assurance systems in place to ensure that examiners and assessors appointed by the State Examinations Commission are compliant with protocols on confidentiality and fair and accurate assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41268/16]

State Examinations Commission

Carol Nolan

367. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the training received by examiners and assessors appointed by the State Examinations Commission on the protocols concerning confidentiality and fair and accurate assessment; the cost of providing the training; the average length of time of the training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41269/16]

Child Protection

Carol Nolan

368. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action which has been taken by his Department on foot of the allegations of sexual assault on a pupil at a school (details supplied); if all front-line staff at the school in question received training in Children First guidelines and legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41270/16]

Child Protection

Carol Nolan

369. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if every school has received training on Children First legislation and guidelines; the form of the training that has taken place; the total amount spent by his Department on the training; if the training forms part of initial teacher training for all student teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41271/16]

Child Protection

Carol Nolan

370. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a requirement that all front-line staff in schools, including support staff, have received training in the area of Children First legislation and guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41272/16]

National Educational Psychological Service

Carol Nolan

372. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools which do not have direct access to a National Educational Psychological Service psychologist for the purposes of carrying out an educational assessment, per county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41321/16]

Third Level Admissions Data

Carol Nolan

386. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of EU students who are registered to study here as full-time undergraduates in higher education institutions for each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41522/16]

School Transport Review

Carol Nolan

420. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the recent review of the school transport scheme will lead to families in the Urris area of Inishowen, County Donegal, having their right to school transport to a school (details supplied) restored considering that the shortest traversable route measured by Bus Éireann is over the Mamore Gap, which is an unsuitable route for a school bus travelling in the winter or in poor weather conditions. [1383/17]

Schools Building Projects

Carol Nolan

421. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the status of the site selection process for the proposed three school campus at Buncrana, County Donegal; and if he will prioritise resources in his Department to ensure the speedy progression of the planning, procurement and construction phases of the project in view of the long delays in site selection. [1384/17]