Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Bus Éireann

Pearse Doherty

139. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the effect on fiscal space if Bus Éireann were to be placed on balance sheet for the purposes of the budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2642/17]

Banking Sector Remuneration

Pearse Doherty

140. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will report on recent meetings he held with a bank (details supplied) regarding remuneration at that bank or any other meetings with other banks at which this issue was discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2643/17]

Banking Sector Remuneration

Pearse Doherty

141. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance his views on the maintenance of a salary cap at the State-backed banks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2644/17]

Tax Agreements

David Cullinane

142. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Finance the contact that took place between his Department and the Federal Republic of Brazil regarding Ireland's inclusion on Brazil's taxation blacklist, in view of the fact that there is no record of any correspondence between his Department and Brazil between 1 August 2016 and 8 January 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2652/17]

Fiscal Policy

Pearse Doherty

143. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the potential impact of items (details supplied) on the fiscal space for 2018, 2019 and 2020; if he will be issuing revised Exchequer targets for 2017 in line with the 2016 Exchequer out-turn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2812/17]

Tax Code

Jack Chambers

144. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Finance the changes to be made to capital acquisitions tax in respect of children in single child families (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2882/17]

Departmental Staff Data

Dara Calleary

145. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Finance the number of Secretaries General in his Department; the annual pay of each Secretary General within his Department at 1 January 2017; the expected change in that pay as a consequence of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2908/17]

Departmental Staff Data

Dara Calleary

146. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Finance the number of assistant secretaries general in his Department; the annual pay of each assistant secretary general within his Department at 1 January 2017; the expected change in that pay as a consequence of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2924/17]

Credit Availability

Róisín Shortall

147. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance the steps he is taking to reduce financing costs for the construction industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2956/17]

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland

Jackie Cahill

148. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland will not accept an animal herd as collateral from a farmer for a business loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2968/17]

Tax Code

Eugene Murphy

149. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if the home carers tax credit applies to couples or persons that care for a loved one and do not qualify for the carer's allowance or are not in receipt of any other State benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3109/17]

Banking Sector

Pearse Doherty

150. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance his views on the levels of competition in the retail banking sector here, the benefits it confers on customers and the creation and sustainment of good careers; his further views on the possible withdrawal of a bank (details supplied) from the market; the engagement his Department has had with this bank regarding its presence in the market here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3152/17]

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme

Gerry Adams

151. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Finance if the disabled drivers and passengers scheme is only applicable to specially modified vehicles or if certain elements of the scheme, for example, VRT exemption, fuel grant and toll road exemption, may be applied for in circumstances in which the applicant holds a primary medical certificate but does not have a modified vehicle. [3154/17]

Primary Medical Certificates

Brendan Smith

152. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance his plans to improve the criteria pertaining to the primary medical certificate; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a large percentage of applications do not meet the criteria even though the applicants have serious health ailments and need modified vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3182/17]

Legislative Programme

Pearse Doherty

153. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the purpose of each item of legislation listed in the legislative programme for his Department. [3188/17]

Social Insurance

Catherine Murphy

154. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to a parliamentary reply issued in respect of a person (details supplied), if he will review claims dating back to 1996 in view of the fact that the person was on an incorrect rate of PRSI from that time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2599/17]

Gaeltacht Policy

John Brassil

155. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills the resources that will be provided for the new education policy for the Gaeltacht. [2709/17]

Schools Building Projects Status

Dara Calleary

156. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the redevelopment of a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; when a technical team will visit the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2534/17]

Third Level Staff

Paul Murphy

157. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has discussed with management of Trinity College Dublin proposals to freeze promotions for non-academic staff and to impose a moratorium on offering permanent contracts to non-academic staff; his views regarding increased precarity in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2540/17]

Special Educational Needs

Peter Fitzpatrick

158. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Education and Skills the incentives or assistance available to second level schools in County Louth to provide an autistic unit for students who require these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2562/17]

Special Educational Needs

Peter Fitzpatrick

159. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding an Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2563/17]

State Examinations Exemptions

Catherine Martin

160. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that while the Irish language exemption on the basis of a learning difficulty is recognised as part of the leaving certificate applied programme year 1, the foreign language exemption on the basis of a learning difficulty is not recognised as part of leaving certificate applied programme year 2; the reason this is the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2576/17]

Teaching Qualifications

Willie O'Dea

161. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason resource hours teaching is no longer regarded as sufficient to enable primary school teachers to attain the 100 hours teaching necessary to proceed to study for a HDip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2594/17]

DEIS Data

Kevin O'Keeffe

162. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schools in Cork east that are currently designated under a category (details supplied); and the schools that will be added to this category in 2017. [2673/17]

European Fund for Strategic Infrastructure

Thomas Byrne

163. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the potential investment projects his Department put forward to the Department of Finance task force report for the European Fund for Strategic Investment. [2676/17]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Fiona O'Loughlin

164. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review an application for assisted technology in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2689/17]

Schools Administration

Mattie McGrath

165. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of times the critical incident policy has been implemented in primary and post-primary schools; the funding provided by his Department for the delivery and implementation of the critical incident policy each year from 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2704/17]

School Enrolments

Mattie McGrath

166. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to tackle the issue of over-subscribed primary schools; the number of primary schools that are over-subscribed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2705/17]

Education and Training Boards

Denise Mitchell

167. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the education and training board selection of a new premises for an organisation (details supplied); the reason another property was deemed unsuitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2794/17]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Jackie Cahill

168. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) for the summer works programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2822/17]

Site Acquisitions

Willie Penrose

169. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a request (details supplied) has been made to his Department for a discussion on the future potential use of Columb Barracks, Mullingar, as an education centre and with a view to his Department playing a positive role in securing same for this use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2842/17]

Schools Building Projects Status

Robert Troy

170. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of applications for extensions to schools (details supplied). [2855/17]

School Curriculum

Catherine Murphy

171. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has satisfied himself that the school curriculum that is set out for the home economics subject is not conflicting with the foods that are served in school canteens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2858/17]

School Transport

Eugene Murphy

172. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the case of persons (details supplied) who have been deemed ineligible for free school transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2884/17]

Summer Works Scheme Administration

Thomas Pringle

173. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills when funding for the 2017 summer works scheme will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2890/17]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Thomas Pringle

174. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will receive funding in 2017 under the summer works scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2891/17]

Departmental Staff Data

Dara Calleary

175. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Secretaries General in his Department; the annual pay of each Secretary General in his Department at 1 January 2017; the expected change in that pay as a consequence of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2906/17]

Departmental Staff Data

Dara Calleary

176. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of assistant secretaries general in his Department; the annual pay of each assistant secretary general in his Department at 1 January 2017; the expected change in that pay as a consequence of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2922/17]

Third Level Staff

Thomas P. Broughan

177. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the growing concerns regarding work and contract conditions among support staff in Trinity College; if he has met SIPTU and Unite representatives on the reason for these concerns; if not, when he plans to do so; the action he will take to ensure that low morale is addressed and fair employment practices are implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2974/17]

Third Level Funding

Joan Burton

178. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has read the USI position paper on the funding of higher education regarding the effects a loan scheme would have on students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2981/17]

State Examinations Reviews

Joan Burton

179. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a progress report on junior certificate syllabus, subject and assessment reforms and his key priorities in this regard for 2017 and 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2982/17]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Joan Burton

180. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the uptake in the number of apprenticeships by females; if his Department has proposals to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2983/17]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Joan Burton

181. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reduce class sizes and build on the measures to reduce class sizes in previous budgets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2984/17]

Education Policy

Joan Burton

182. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which he plans to progress the three areas in the education sector that he has identified as his core priority areas of focus in the sector, including helping children with special needs, supporting schools and building a stronger bridge between education and the workplace; the reason he has prioritised these three areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2985/17]

Education Policy

Joan Burton

183. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reform the model of leadership in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2986/17]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Joan Burton

184. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the primary and post-primary average class size figures for Ireland and for other EU member states; his plans to tackle large class size concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2987/17]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Joan Burton

185. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are remaining sections of the Teaching Council (Amendment) Act 2015 to be commenced; the timeframe for commencing such sections; and the number of fitness to teach complaints received and processed to date since he commenced these provisions in July 2016. [2988/17]

Education Policy

Joan Burton

186. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he proposes to publish a draft of the education (parent and student charter) Bill; the details of the proposed pre-legislative scrutiny process; and the timeframe for this. [2989/17]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Joan Burton

187. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which he will address concerns that the Teaching Council, in the absence of a statutory complaints procedure for use at school level, will be expected to address complaints which are better resolved at local level and thus have less resources to deal with very serious complaints which may arise. [2990/17]

Third Level Admissions Assistance

Joan Burton

188. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the specific measures he plans in order to deal with concerns regarding third level student support and funding challenges for third level institutions. [2991/17]