Parliamentary questions

State Examinations

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

531. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will re-examine the new criteria put in place to be eligible for access to a scribe or word processor in State examinations as the criteria is too stringent and students such as a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 are missing out on this vital service by a mere 1% in the qualifying tests; and if discretion can be applied when a student misses out by such a small margin. [4769/15]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Michael Fitzmaurice

532. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a student whose parent is a State employee earning in the region of €65,000 per year, but who is engaged in the insolvency process and consequently has no disposable income whatsoever, is eligible for the student grant scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4783/15]

Obesity Strategy

Frank Feighan

533. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the initiatives to deal with obesity that have been taken in the past ten years; the programmes or proposed programmes being rolled out to deal with this problem; and if a specific budget is being set aside for this purpose. [4789/15]

School Funding

Michael McCarthy

534. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding invested by her Department in schools in County Cork, broken down by year, between 2011 and 2014, and by primary and post-primary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4800/15]

School Funding

Michael McCarthy

535. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding invested by her Department in schools in County Cork since 2011, broken down by school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4801/15]

Teachers' Remuneration

Barry Cowen

536. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to review the measures taken with regard to teachers' allowances as outlined in her Department's Circular 70/2011. [4802/15]

School Funding

Michael McCarthy

537. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding invested by her Department in schools in Cork South-West, broken down by year between 2011 and 2014, and by primary and post-primary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4812/15]

School Funding

Michael McCarthy

538. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding invested by her Department in schools in Cork South-West since 2011, broken down by school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4813/15]

School Transport Eligibility

Charlie McConalogue

539. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions her Department has in place for providing transport for students with disabilities who wish to attend the North West Regional College in Derry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4814/15]

School Funding

Michael Healy-Rae

540. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding funding applications in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry. [4871/15]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Seán Fleming

541. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Laois who is in receipt of one-parent family payment will be approved for a SUSI grant for a third level education course where the application was not submitted in the original timescale because the person who was on this payment was advised by the Department of Social Protection that if they were returning to college, they should apply for the back to education allowance which they did and then were told they were not eligible for the grant because they are in receipt of this payment and then sought to have their payment transferred back to the one-parent family payment to make them eligible, by which time they were informed by SUSI they were too late to make the application; if she will ensure that this person is not left without their SUSI grant and that a decision be made to accept this application which is due to circumstances between two Departments outside the control of the person concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4881/15]

School Playgrounds

Michael McGrath

542. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is open to schools to apply for one off funding for developing a play space facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4896/15]

Primary Online Database

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

543. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department is developing a primary online database; the reason her Department is seeking to collect data in relation to the ethnicity and religion of students; the length of time which it is planned to store data collected via the primary online database system; the places this data will be stored; the persons that will have access to this data; if her Department has engaged with the Data Protection Commissioner on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4897/15]

Schools Building Projects Status

Charlie McConalogue

544. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will make arrangements for a meeting between her Department's building unit and a delegation from a school (details supplied) in County Donegal to discuss future development plans for a new school building and development of the school campus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4923/15]

School Accommodation

Joan Collins

545. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will liaise with the Office of Public Works in order to have temporary premises in place for the summer in respect of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 8. [4932/15]

Broadband Service Provision

Joan Collins

546. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a tender will be allocated in respect of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 8; when the broadband speed will be updated and improved; when the PDST will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4936/15]

School Funding

Seán Kyne

547. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the financial support received from the Department for the development of sports facilities at a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath. [4946/15]

Schools Amalgamation

Brendan Griffin

548. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application by schools (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4963/15]

Teachers' Remuneration

Finian McGrath

549. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the honours degree allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4992/15]

Departmental Programmes

Seán Kyne

550. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will report on the evaluation of Springboard; if the evaluation reports are made available; if she will report on the group charged with evaluating the programme; and her plans to increase the number and scope of the courses available to jobseekers. [4993/15]

Schools Building Contractors

Peadar Tóibín

551. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to parliamentary Question No. 508 of 20 January 2015, if the annual number of school build programme direct jobs created she has supplied are workers directly employed by the principal contractor of each of the projects accounted for in the annual period; and if not if she will provide a breakdown for each year of the way her Department has accounted for the figures provided. [5017/15]

Water Conservation Grant

Terence Flanagan

552. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the €100 water conservation grant will be backdated to assist persons with water charges to cover the period from 1 January to September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4411/15]

Water Charges Administration

Ruth Coppinger

553. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has estimated the level of non-payment of water charges that would result in expenditure in Irish Water being deemed not to be an off balance sheet expenditure item; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4479/15]

Leader Programmes Administration

Tom Barry

554. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when rural development plan funding will be open for applications, following the reconfiguration of Leader groups. [4580/15]

Water Conservation Grant

Paul Murphy

555. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the conditions that will be attached to the issuing by his Department of the water conservation grant; and if there will be a requirement that applicants for the grant have or will spend money on a water conservation measure. [4784/15]

Foreshore Licence Applications

Martin Ferris

556. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has authorised by way of foreshore licence or by other means the removal of sand from the tidal part of the Akeragh river in the Banna Ballyteigue dune system, County Kerry. [4829/15]

Leader Programmes Administration

James Bannon

557. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the proposed timetable for negotiation of the new Leader roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4366/15]

Pyrite Remediation Programme

Clare Daly

558. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the exact circumstances in which a home owner can have his or her property remediated when the home deteriorates from a damage rating over one to one with progression within a year. [4391/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Seán Fleming

559. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when an allocation for funding to local authorities for social housing will be approved; the overall estimate for this figure for 2015; when councils will be provided approval to commence purchasing these houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4402/15]

Water Conservation Grant

Terence Flanagan

560. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if full water charges will be applied from 1 January 2015, although the water conservation grant will not be applied until September 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4410/15]

Political Funding

Niall Collins

561. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason political party units are not permitted from opening an account in a credit union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4414/15]

Waste Management

Dominic Hannigan

562. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce a new waste regulator to help bring down costs for consumers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4418/15]

Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration

Dessie Ellis

563. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the implementation of the tenant purchase scheme; if he will provide a list of all local authorities where this scheme will be available; and the expected time at which it will be commenced in these areas. [4423/15]

Waste Disposal

Michael Healy-Rae

564. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the proposals his Department has to impose a levy on end of life tyres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4460/15]

Public Private Partnerships Data

Stephen Donnelly

565. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the role of elected officials in a public-private partnership project between a local authority and a private company, with particular reference to reporting requirements and the provision of information to, and at the request of, elected members by the private partner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4469/15]

Arts Funding

Stephen Donnelly

566. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the requirements for the provision of art work under the percent art scheme whereby the public partner in the PPP is a local authority and has provided land for development as part of the partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4470/15]

Departmental Expenditure

Patrick O'Donovan

567. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, for the years 2007 to 2010 the total photography costs in his Department, including a list of which photographers were booked, the photographers used and breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4492/15]

Departmental Expenditure

Patrick O'Donovan

568. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, for the years 1997 to 2007 the total photography costs in his Department, including a list of which photographers were booked, the photographers used and breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4508/15]

Public Relations Contracts Data

Patrick O'Donovan

569. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, a list of all external public relations firms hired by his Department and associated costs incurred from 2007 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4542/15]

Legislative Measures

Eric J. Byrne

570. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will sign off on legislation or statutory instrument, further to and inclusive of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, empowering local authorities to deal with tenants engaged in anti-social behaviour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4565/15]

National Volunteering Strategy

Gerry Adams

571. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has developed a national volunteering strategy; when this strategy will be implemented; the content of this strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4585/15]

Seniors Alert Scheme

Brendan Griffin

572. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his future plans for the seniors alert scheme; if his Department plans to continue administering the scheme; if the value of the grant per alarm will be maintained into the future; the overall budget for 2015 compared to 2012, 2013 and 2014; the number of units provided under the scheme nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4645/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Terence Flanagan

573. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update regarding the refurbishment work due to be undertaken in an area (details supplied) in Dublin 17; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4730/15]

Election Management System

Noel Grealish

574. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify the position regarding Northern Ireland holders of Irish passports and entitlements to vote in elections (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4739/15]

Local Authority Staff Data

Barry Cowen

575. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form by local authority such as service area housing, planning and so on, the number of requests for additional staff received; the number of requests granted; the number of new staff commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4752/15]

Foreshore Licence Applications

Jim Daly

576. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied that a foreshore licence application (details supplied) has remained in the Chief State Solicitor's office for four years without being finalised; the reason for this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4819/15]

Arts Funding

Derek Nolan

577. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will take into account the importance of the role of the arts in rural communities when allocating future Leader and-or SICAP funding to community development organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4833/15]

Waste Management Expenditure

Michael Colreavy

578. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps that have been taken to tackle the increasing cost of waste disposal in County Sligo; and his views on restoring power over waste disposal back to Sligo County Council. [4872/15]

Private Rented Accommodation Price Controls

Dominic Hannigan

579. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration has been given to the introduction of some form of rent control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4879/15]

Rental Accommodation Scheme Data

Dominic Hannigan

580. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of units currently under the rental accommodation scheme in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4880/15]