Parliamentary questions

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Carol Nolan

349. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the reasons a school (details supplied) was refused an application for funding under the summer works grant; if he will reconsider this decision; if his attention has been drawn to the issues in respect of overcrowding due to projected enrolment, as raised as an issue of concern by the inspectorate during a recent whole school evaluation; if he will make additional funds available to the school to rectify this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13601/17]

Education and Training Boards

Carol Nolan

110. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to allocating additional staff to the audit committee of ETBs in order to ensure that the unit is sufficiently resourced to undertake the extensive workload in an efficient and timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12461/17]

Education Data

Carol Nolan

111. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the new resource allocation model will include an appeals mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12465/17]

Intellectual Property Protocol

Carol Nolan

112. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the safeguards that are in place to protect the intellectual property developed in third level institutions in the context of spin-out companies and other commercialisation of research; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12466/17]

Knowledge Transfer Programme

Carol Nolan

113. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of all spin-out companies established by third level institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12467/17]

Intellectual Property Protocol

Carol Nolan

114. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a legislative requirement on a shareholder of a spin-out company established by a third level institution who is also a member of the staff, board or governing body of the same institution to declare an interest in the shareholding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12468/17]

Intellectual Property Protocol

Carol Nolan

115. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is a legal requirement that all third level institutions must have a policy governing the conflict of interest of members of staff, board members or members of a governing authority generally and more specifically in the case of spin-out companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12469/17]

Intellectual Property Protocol

Carol Nolan

116. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a legal framework in place to ensure that staff or those in paid positions of authority within third level institutions who have direct access to and knowledge of research and intellectual property of the third level institution are prevented from making personal gain through the sale or development of the research or intellectual property or through obtaining shareholdings in a company which subsequently profits from the sale or development of the research or intellectual property, if concerns have been raised with his Department in respect of issues of this nature; if a body within his Department has been tasked with oversight of the establishment of spin-out companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12470/17]

Research Funding Applications

Carol Nolan

117. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is a requirement for all State research funding that any potential conflict of interest is disclosed at the time of application; the circumstances in which funding will be refused on grounds of conflict of interest; the number of applications that have been declined due to concerns in relation to conflicts of interest over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12471/17]

Intellectual Property Protocol

Carol Nolan

118. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is normal practice that paid members of staff of third level institutions would become shareholders of companies or other structures established to exploit the commercialisation of the research of the institution in which they are employed; if such shareholdings would be in conflict of interest of the position of employment within the institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12472/17]

DEIS Eligibility

Carol Nolan

119. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the data used in establishing the criteria for DEIS schools took account of the number of persons on rent supplement or other housing payments in a given area given the number of persons eligible for social housing who are currently in the private rental market due to a shortage of social housing supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12473/17]

DEIS Expenditure

Carol Nolan

120. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total funding for DEIS under the plan for 2017; the total spend pro rata per pupil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12474/17]

Education Data

Carol Nolan

121. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the circular for the new resource allocation model will be sent to schools and published on his Department's website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12475/17]

Industrial Relations

Carol Nolan

122. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that no teacher will be made redundant in ASTI as a result of the dispute with his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12476/17]

Public Service Pay Commission

Carol Nolan

123. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if ASTI will be invited to form part of the talks on the new pay agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12477/17]

Health Screening Programmes

Carol Nolan

201. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to reducing the age at which women are eligible for free smear tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12462/17]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Carol Nolan

202. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting over a year to see a dermatologist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12463/17]

Nitrates Action Programme Implementation

Carol Nolan

723. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to extend the transitional arrangements for the nitrates directive, in order that their eventual discontinuation can be negotiated within the scope of the full review on the basis of introducing additional measures to encourage the use of organic fertilisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11920/17]

Pátrúnacht Scoileanna

Carol Nolan

78. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Carol Nolan den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cén sásra a bheidh ann chun measúnú agus freastal a dhéanamh ar an éileamh ar oideachas lán-Ghaeilge faoin bplean nua chun dífheistiú pátrúnachta a chur chun cinn, ós rud é go bhfuil sé luaite mar cheann de na príomhfheidhmeanna a bheadh ag an bpróiseas dífheistithe. [10960/17]

Pátrúnacht Scoileanna

Carol Nolan

79. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Carol Nolan den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an n-aontaíonn sé le Gaeloideachas go bhfuil baol ann, tríd an gcur chuige nua atá beartaithe, gur pobalscoileanna náisiúnta trí mheán an Bhéarla a bheidh mar thoradh ar an bpróiseas, toisc na Boird Oideachais agus Oiliúna a bheith i mbun an chomhairliúcháin agus iad cheana féin aitheanta mar a rogha pátrúin ag an gComhpháirtíocht Scoileanna Caitliceacha. [10961/17]

Pátrúnacht Scoileanna

Carol Nolan

80. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Carol Nolan den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an n-aontaíonn sé go bhfuil sé de riachtanas go mbeadh áisíneacht nó údarás neamhspleách agus neodrach ag tabhairt faoin gcomhairliúchán le tuismitheoirí maidir le dífheistiú, agus mar sin de nach bhfuil sé feiliúnach go dtabharfadh an Boird Oideachais agus Oiliúna faoi ós rud é go bhfuil siad san iomaíocht chun pátrúnacht bunscoileanna nua a bhaint amach. [10962/17]

State Examinations Reviews

Carol Nolan

81. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the State Examinations Commission has written to schools to advise them of the process for the classroom based assessment for the junior certificate after the ASTI ballot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10963/17]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Carol Nolan

82. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if schools will be expected to make provision for newly enrolled or newly diagnosed children with special educational needs under the current allocation under the new resource allocation model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10964/17]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Carol Nolan

83. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the procedure whereby a child with special educational needs transfers to another school; if the resource hours allocated to that child transfer with the child to the new school or if the new school is required to make an additional application; the way in which this type of scenario operates under the new resource allocation model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10965/17]

DEIS Scheme

Carol Nolan

84. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will review the decision not to designate a school (details supplied) as a DEIS school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10966/17]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Carol Nolan

85. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of the staff included in the calculation of the pupil-teacher ratio including resource teachers, learning support teachers and any other staff including classroom teaching staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10967/17]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Carol Nolan

86. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated pupil-teacher ratio for DEIS schools, primary schools and post-primary schools if only mainstream classroom teachers were used in the calculation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10968/17]

National Educational Psychological Service Staff

Carol Nolan

92. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the recently announced appointment of ten additional NEPS psychologists will be used to deal with staff shortages due to leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11080/17]

Repair and Leasing Scheme

Carol Nolan

115. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the allocation to Offaly County Council and Tipperary County Council under the repair and leasing scheme announced recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11082/17]

School Meals Programme

Carol Nolan

134. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to schools that will run out of funding for school meals in 2017; the reason for this; the number of schools affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11081/17]

Ambulance Service Accommodation

Carol Nolan

232. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to outline the progress on the new Edenderry ambulance station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11083/17]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Carol Nolan

234. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to outline the reason for the excessive delay in an operation for a person (details supplied); when the operation will be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11086/17]

Occupational Therapy

Carol Nolan

235. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of vacancies under each school age team in the areas of speech and language, clinical psychology and occupational therapy; the length of the vacancy; if staff are currently on extended leave, the number of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11087/17]

Speech and Language Therapy

Carol Nolan

236. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to outline the terms of reference of the review of speech and language therapy services; when the review is due to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11088/17]

Occupational Therapy

Carol Nolan

237. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to set down the number of children currently waiting over six months for speech and language therapy, clinical psychologist or occupational therapy; if the waiting list is for an assessment or therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11089/17]

Occupational Therapy

Carol Nolan

238. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of new posts appointed to speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and clinical psychology under the school age teams since the Government took office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11090/17]

State Examinations

Carol Nolan

52. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the detail of the new arrangements for the reasonable accommodations scheme for certificate examinations from 2017. [10336/17]

State Examinations

Carol Nolan

67. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements in place to ensure that junior certificate students do not lose marks as a result of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland, ASTI, ballot. [10335/17]

Derelict Sites

Carol Nolan

46. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to address the high level of vacant and derelict buildings in town centres in County Offaly such as Banagher and Edenderry. [9032/17]

DEIS Scheme

Carol Nolan

166. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of restoring the rural co-ordination service under DEIS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9230/17]

DEIS Scheme

Carol Nolan

167. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of rural co-ordinators who had been in place under the DEIS programme before the service was cut; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9231/17]

National Educational Psychological Service Expenditure

Carol Nolan

168. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of ensuring that every school has access to a NEPS psychologist for the purposes of carrying out an assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9232/17]

DEIS Data

Carol Nolan

169. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the data sources his Department utilised in order to establish the new schools under the DEIS plan 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9233/17]

DEIS Eligibility

Carol Nolan

170. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider establishing an appeals mechanism for schools that are of the view they meet the criteria for DEIS support to have their applications reconsidered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9234/17]

DEIS Data

Carol Nolan

171. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of pupils covered by the DEIS programme over each of the past ten years; the number of schools per county that are included in the programme; the average funding per school and per student over each of the past ten years under the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9235/17]

National Educational Psychological Service Data

Carol Nolan

172. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of DEIS schools that do not have direct access to a NEPS psychologist for the purpose of carrying out an assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9236/17]

School Textbooks

Carol Nolan

173. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if all DEIS schools currently avail of a school book grant; the number that do not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9237/17]

EU Funding

Carol Nolan

174. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of projects in receipt of EU funding under his Department in which partnership between an institution here and in the North was necessary to receive the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9239/17]

Third Level Funding

Carol Nolan

175. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount his Department has provided for demographic growth in the higher education sector for the next five years; the amount provided in budget 2017; if the figure provided is taken into account when calculating the fiscal space; the number of staff who have been hired over each of the past five years specifically to address demographic growth in the higher education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9240/17]

Third Level Staff Data

Carol Nolan

176. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of staff in the higher education sector in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9241/17]