Finian McGrath
Question:162. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to support a matter concerning the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3366/16]
View answerHuman Rights
Questions (162)
Written answers
I am aware of the case raised by the Deputy. My concerns regarding this case are twofold: firstly, this person has been convicted for activities that would be widely regarded here as the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of opinion and expression, and, secondly, due to the nature of the sentence, which included corporal punishment. Concerns about this case have been raised by the European Union on behalf of its Member States, including Ireland, with the Saudi authorities. They have also been conveyed directly to representatives of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Ireland by officials of my Department on a number of occasions.
The spokesperson of EU High Representative Mogherini issued a statement on this case in January 2015. This called on the Saudi authorities to suspend the flogging of this individual, a call which was echoed later in January by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
I have repeatedly expressed my hope that the Saudi Authorities will answer the High Commissioner’s call for this individual to be pardoned and for this harsh form of punishment to be urgently reviewed.
Departmental Staff Retirements
Questions (163)
Jack Wall
Question:163. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline her views on a submission (details supplied); if she will reply to the requests in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3285/16]
View answerWritten answers
There were no such cases taken to the Employment Equality Tribunal by employees of my Department or by civil servants employed at the bodies under its aegis in the last four years. As such, the other aspects of the Deputy's question do not arise.
School Accommodation Provision
Questions (164)
Shane Ross
Question:164. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 147 of 20 January 2016 in respect of a date for sanctioning an extension to a school (details supplied) in County Dublin, if the project will be given the go-ahead by next month or as soon as possible for the completion of the expenditure profiling exercise and if the subsequent final permission will be given as soon as possible for the project to advance to site and commence construction works; if she will fund the school for any loss of income caused by the ongoing delay, given that the school has acted in good faith and is already paying moneys to a neighbouring school for the temporary transfer of pupils during construction, as was deemed necessary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3323/16]
View answerWritten answers
The work undertaken by my Department to profile expenditure for the year has now been completed. In relation to the specific project in the school to which the Deputy refers this now allows the Letter of Acceptance to issue from the school to the contractor for this project. As the Board of Management is the client, my Department has written to the school authorising it to issue the Letter of Acceptance. My officials responded to the school principal last week to confirm that my Department will cover the cost of the rented temporary accommodation in the neighbouring school for the duration of the construction period.
Emergency Works Scheme Applications
Questions (165)
Robert Troy
Question:165. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to urgently expedite and grant an application for emergency works for a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath which was submitted in June 2015. [3325/16]
View answerWritten answers
The school to which the Deputy refers recently submitted additional information relating to works at the school in the context of an emergency works grant application. This information is currently being examined and the school will be notified of the outcome as soon as a decision has been made.
School Transport Eligibility
Questions (166)
Timmy Dooley
Question:166. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills why a child (details supplied) in County Clare has been refused school transport given that the school the child is attending is closer to the child's residence than the schools identified by Bus Éireann; if she will provide the detailed maps supporting this decision to refuse school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3326/16]
View answerWritten answers
Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest education centre/school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from a child's home to the relevant education centre; it may be either a pedestrian or vehicular route, and it is not necessarily the route that the school bus takes.
In cases where distance eligibility is marginal or in dispute, vehicles fitted with calibrated measuring devices which measure the distance down to the nearest metre may be used to establish the exact distance and/or the nearest appropriate education centre to the child's home. In this regard, Bus Éireann has confirmed that the child in question is not attending her nearest school and is therefore not eligible for school transport.
The terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
Schools Building Projects Status
Questions (167)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:167. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the progress in providing permanent accommodation for the Educate Together school in Claregalway in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3334/16]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has confirmed the need for a new school building to be provided for the school referred to by the Deputy and in that regard a Major Capital Building Project for the school has been included in the 6 Year Construction Programme. I can advise that officials in the Department are currently working closely with officials from Galway County Council in relation to the acquisition of a suitable site to facilitate the provision of a new school building for the school in question. I can also confirm that the site acquisition process is ongoing. However due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions generally, my Department is not in a position to provide any further details at this time.