Parliamentary questions

Student Universal Support Ireland Administration

Jonathan O'Brien

453. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the payment rates under the Student Universal Support Ireland Scheme, given the poor standard of transport links in many rural areas. [26895/15]

Student Universal Support Ireland Administration

Jonathan O'Brien

454. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has conducted any review of the rules of assessing estrangement used by Student Universal Support Ireland; if she is aware of any review conducted by Student Universal Support Ireland on the matter; and the outcome of any of these reviews. [26896/15]

Student Universal Support Ireland Administration

Jonathan O'Brien

455. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide clear guidelines to grant authorities that will compel them to recognise genuine evidence from students that demonstrates estrangement from their families. [26897/15]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Jonathan O'Brien

456. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that students over 23 years of age who are classed as mature students are assessed on their personal income, and not that of their parents; and if she will introduce formal guidelines on same for Student Universal Support Ireland. [26898/15]

Student Grant Scheme Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

457. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of fully reinstating the postgraduate maintenance grant. [26899/15]

Student Grant Scheme Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

458. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that postgraduate fee contributions match undergraduate fee contributions. [26900/15]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Jonathan O'Brien

459. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the rules around transitional courses at third level for the purposes of supports under the Student Universal Support Ireland scheme, given the lack of recognition that add-on courses with high progression rates currently have. [26901/15]

Student Grants Data

Jonathan O'Brien

460. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who received a grant in a repeat year of studies during the years 2013-14 and 2014-15; and the guidelines used to decide on their qualifications. [26902/15]

School Staff

Tom Fleming

461. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update regarding the very merited appeal, due to exceptional circumstances, and the importance of the retention of two teachers in respect of a school (details supplied) which caters for children with mild and moderate autism in the Tralee, Killarney and greater mid-County Kerry area, as the projected enrolment for future years is increasing and it is a marginal situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26928/15]

School Management

Seán Kyne

462. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the accountability of boards of management in respect of spending locally raised funds and in respect of capitation grants provided by her Department; if schools have to provide audited accounts; the safeguards in place to ensure moneys are spent appropriately; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26929/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Robert Dowds

463. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a sufficient number of special needs assistants to meet demand at primary level in the forthcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27010/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

464. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants who are allocated to part-time posts in each school in County Louth for the upcoming school year. [27020/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

465. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants who are allocated to full-time posts in each school in County Louth for the upcoming school year. [27021/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

466. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of full-time and part-time special needs assistant posts allocated to schools in County Louth in each year since 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27022/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

467. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a breakdown in tabular form of funding allocated for the provision of special needs assistants in County Louth in 2015-16; and the total spent per year from 2010. [27023/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

468. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average amount spent per pupil on special needs assistants in County Louth; and how this compares with the allocation per pupil across the State. [27024/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

469. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average amount spent per pupil on special needs assistants in County Meath; and how this compares with the allocation per pupil across the State. [27025/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

470. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding allocated for the provision of special needs assistants in County Meath in 2015-16; and the total spent in each year from 2010. [27026/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

471. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of part-time and full-time special needs assistant posts allocated to schools in County Meath in each year since 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27027/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

472. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of part-time special needs assistant posts allocated to each school in County Meath for the upcoming school year. [27028/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

473. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of full-time special needs assistant posts allocated to each school in County Meath for the upcoming school year. [27029/15]

Special Educational Needs Data

Gerry Adams

474. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a breakdown in tabular form of the number of hours of special needs assistance allocated to schools in counties Louth and Meath from 2010. [27030/15]

Special Educational Needs Data

Gerry Adams

475. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average resource hours allocated per child, following assessment, to each school in County Louth from 2010. [27031/15]

Special Educational Needs Data

Gerry Adams

476. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average resource hours allocated per child, following assessment, to each school in County Meath from 2010. [27032/15]

Special Educational Needs Data

Gerry Adams

477. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline in tabular form the number of pupils who required a special needs assistant following assessment, by county from 2010. [27033/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

478. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will advise further on schools submitting applications for resources for special needs assistants in March 2015; and if the level of resources needed, based on assessment, will be met for the upcoming school year. [27034/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

479. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons for the delay in processing applications from schools for resources for special needs assistants for the upcoming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27035/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Gerry Adams

480. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills when schools will be notified regarding the allocation of resources for special needs assistants in respect of the upcoming school year. [27036/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Charlie McConalogue

481. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there has been a delay in announcing the allocation of special needs assistants in respect of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11; if the allocation of assistants has already been decided for this school; when this decision will be communicated to the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27040/15]

Education and Training Boards Funding

Robert Troy

482. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for the funds held in the capital reserves of the Longford-Westmeath Education and Training Board, following the disposal of the old school at Castlepollard, County Westmeath, a number of years ago; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27083/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Bernard Durkan

483. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when information regarding the allocation of special needs assistants is likely to become available for the forthcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27084/15]

School Transport Availability

Áine Collins

484. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the school bus from Cullen to a school (details supplied) in County Cork is not running for the coming school year. [27119/15]

Languages Programme

Michael McGrath

485. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the campaign to secure recognition for Irish sign language; if her Department is the lead Department in that regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27126/15]

Further Education and Training Colleges

Charlie McConalogue

486. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide figures, in tabular form, on the funding allocated to each of the further education and training colleges from September 2011 to September 2014. [27133/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Clare Daly

487. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there is a delay in the allocation of special needs assistants to primary schools, given that concerned persons are unaware of whether they will be sanctioned for next year, even though the summer term is upon us. [27138/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Dara Calleary

488. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the allocation of special needs assistants for the 2015-16 school year has not yet been published; her views on whether it would be beneficial for school managers to be made aware of their allocations before the close of business of the 2014-15 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27197/15]

School Transport Availability

Charlie McConalogue

489. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if students from the Urris area of Clonmany in County Donegal who commenced at a school (details supplied) in September 2012, or subsequently, but who are now being informed by Bus Éireann that they reside closer to secondary schools in Buncrana, will have to pay the concessionary school transport fare to continue to avail of school transport to Carndonagh; if the concessionary fare will be waived to allow them to complete their education at the school, given that they are only now being informed that her Department regards them as residing closer to Buncrana; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27198/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Martin Heydon

490. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made on applications for special needs assistants in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27200/15]

Departmental Investigations

John McGuinness

491. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills with regard to a report (details supplied) on the allegations made by a whistleblower with regard to corporate income tax, if she will confirm the tender process by which the company was selected; the cost of the report; if the full report will be published; the cost of the legal advice in respect of the report and any other matter relative to the allegations; if the terms of reference for the report will be published; the name of the legal advisers; the persons or group of advisers who drafted the terms of reference for the report; if she will provide the list of those interviewed as part of the process of compiling the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27201/15]

Disadvantaged Status

Jonathan O'Brien

492. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Dublin will be considered for inclusion under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools scheme, as part of the upcoming review of the scheme for disadvantaged schools, given that all other schools in the area have been included under the scheme. [27222/15]

Schools Building Projects Status

Jonathan O'Brien

493. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if extra funds have been made available for her Department to comply with planning conditions set down by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and upheld by An Bord Pleanála regarding the planning application for the building of a new school for a co-educational day school (details supplied) in County Dublin. [27223/15]

Departmental Circulars

Pat Deering

494. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide additional funding to schools to offset the extra costs associated with Circular 33/2015, as electronic systems for the recording of pupils' attendance are an additional financial burden on schools, and given that roll books and so on were provided free by her Department until now; the amount her Department has spent on providing roll books and registers to schools for each of the past ten years; and the amount her Department plans to save over the next year due to schools that use electronic attendance systems no longer having to use roll books and so on. [27230/15]

School Services Staff

Niall Collins

495. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the concerns of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24 at the absence of proper security as a result of the withdrawal of the community employment scheme; her views on the need to provide resources and advice to the school authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27238/15]

Schools Establishment

Niall Collins

496. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to develop a secondary school in the Firhouse-Ballycullen area of Tallaght, Dublin 24, given the future demand in this area; if she will point out to the relevant officials that South Dublin County Council's new development plan will include a recommendation that no such future school development will take place in an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27239/15]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Thomas P. Broughan

497. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the application (details supplied) to provide preschool services for children with autism in September 2015; if she will expedite a decision given the very short timeframe to report on the delay in making this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27244/15]

School Transport Eligibility

Jonathan O'Brien

498. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of a change to the school transport scheme (details supplied); and that this change means many large lower-income areas in Galway city are now excluded from the grant. [27255/15]

School Transport Eligibility

Sandra McLellan

499. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the options available to a family (details supplied) in County Cork who are just under the distance to qualify for free school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27256/15]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

500. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the learning support provided for a pupil (details supplied) in County Meath to ensure the support reaches the 30 minutes per day recommended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27260/15]

Professional Fees

Thomas P. Broughan

501. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the concerns of community and voluntary training providers at the proposed fees for engagement and validation of qualifications by Quality and Qualifications Ireland, in particular the impact of such fees on the capacity of organisations to provide education and training programmes for disadvantaged groups; her plans to exempt charities from these fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27284/15]

Third Level Participation

Thomas P. Broughan

502. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the actions her Department is taking to address the non-progression of up to 7,000 students from first year to second year at third level, as reported by the Higher Education Authority last year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27285/15]