Parliamentary questions

Weight of Schoolbags

Colm Keaveney

225. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the issue of the weight of children's schoolbags; the risk they may pose to the health of children; the action he is taking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48887/13]

Momentum Programme

Regina Doherty

226. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason travel allowances for particpants (details supplied) in County Meath of ##Momentum courses who reside a considerable distance from the momentum course do not apply in the same manner as they do to FÁS-VTOS and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49195/13]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Clare Daly

227. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an apprentice will now be able to avail of a student grant as a result of the changes in the payments introduced in budget 2014. [48823/13]

Schools Building Projects Expenditure

Dan Neville

228. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding extra funding in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48832/13]

National Internship Scheme Data

Richard Boyd Barrett

229. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of schools currently utilising the JobBridge scheme to employ interns in a teaching capacity. [48863/13]

Student Grant Scheme Appeals

Charlie McConalogue

230. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a student (details supplied) may expect a decision on their appeal to Student Universal Support Ireland and the student grant appeals board for the 2012-13 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48864/13]

Weight of Schoolbags

Colm Keaveney

231. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the responsibility his Department has for addressing the issue of the weight of children's schoolbags and the potential risk to their health; the actions his Department has taken to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48888/13]

Student Grant Scheme Appeals

Bernard Durkan

232. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in determination of an appeal for a higher education grant in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48900/13]

Schools Amalgamation

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

233. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that parents and pupils are central to any decision to amalgamate four schools (details supplied) in Dublin 10 into two schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48938/13]

Schools Amalgamation

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

234. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that the amalgamation of four schools (details supplied) in Dublin 10 into two schools does not lead to overcrowding, increased class sizes or loss of teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48939/13]

Student Grant Scheme Applications

Martin Heydon

235. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a Student Universal Support Ireland application submitted in June will be expedited in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48962/13]

School Transport Provision

Brendan Griffin

236. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 339 of 5 November 2013, the additional costs to Bus Éireann of an extension of a morning bus route (details supplied) in County Kerry in view of the agreement of the private bus operator to provide this service for no additional cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49003/13]

School Accommodation

Shane Ross

237. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) is still housed within the premises of another school, when this arrangement was supposed to be a temporary measure; when building work will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49039/13]

Student Grant Scheme Payments

Robert Troy

238. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite a Student Universal Support Ireland grant payment in respect of a person (details supplied). [49093/13]

Information and Communications Technology

Jonathan O'Brien

239. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that currently require children to use ipads or tablets, or that will require them to do so from September 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49100/13]

Educational Tours

Jonathan O'Brien

240. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the departmental criteria governing foreign trips run by schools for students. [49101/13]

School Accommodation

Olivia Mitchell

241. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills following the rejection by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council of the Department's planning application for permission to construct the Ballinteer Educate Together School within the St. Tiernan's Community school site, his plans to provide a permanent site for the school within the timeframe previously envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49118/13]

School Transport Provision

Michael Creed

242. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department provides supervised transport for children with special needs to a college (details supplied) in County Cork; the way approval is sought for supervised transport in respect of this college; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49129/13]

School Transport Provision

Ged Nash

243. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that no public transport under the school transport scheme is available to students from Drogheda attending a school (details supplied) in County Louth; if efforts will be made by the relevant authorities to provide such transport in this academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49152/13]

Capitation Grants

Terence Flanagan

244. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason students in a vocational education committee school get €212 more capitation per head than students in a voluntary secondary school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49175/13]

Schools Building Projects Status

Robert Troy

245. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath. [49190/13]

Student Grant Scheme Applications

Robert Troy

246. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure a person (details supplied) is granted a special rate of Student Universal Support Ireland grant payment. [49263/13]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Robert Troy

247. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if adequate support will be offered to persons in a school (details supplied) in County Longford in terms of special needs assistants; and his views on whether this is acceptable and needs to be addressed straight away by providing the school with additional support. [49270/13]

School Costs

Alan Farrell

248. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if all schools in Fingal will be included in the parents questionnaire on school uniforms; if not, the schools that will receive the questionnaire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49273/13]

Student Grant Scheme Delays

Pearse Doherty

249. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay in processing a student grant application in respect of a person (details supplied). [49325/13]

Education and Training Boards Remit

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

250. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that construction, warehousing and other courses being offered to jobseekers in future have a safe pass and manual handling certification included in view of the fact that SOLAS and education and training boards are responsible for former FÁS courses and training facilities. [49376/13]

Training Programmes Provision

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

251. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the courses in ECDL, manual handling, first aid, driving and safe pass that were offered free to social welfare recipients in the Dublin 8, 10 and 12 areas in the past year. [49377/13]

School Textbooks Rental Scheme

Brendan Griffin

252. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will revise the guidelines issued by his Department regarding school book rental schemes to include a greater emphasis to encourage teachers and those selecting the textbooks to shop around for better value for money in view of the large differences in prices that exist between similar books from different publishers; if he acknowledges that there are major price differences between the publishers and that this provides scope for taxpayers' money supporting the scheme to go further; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49381/13]

School Textbooks Rental Scheme

Brendan Griffin

253. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts he has made to date to encourage those selecting textbooks in schools to seek better value for money and to shop around for the most affordable fit-for-purpose books; if his Department has issued any circular to this effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49382/13]

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Joe Higgins

254. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will restore the €10,243.09 withheld from a person's (details supplied) redundancy payment on the basis that his Department claims that the person was overpaid by this amount over an 11 year period between 2003 and 2013 through no fault of their own; if he will instruct his Department to make available the basis of their calculations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49447/13]

Third Level Courses Availability

John Deasy

255. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the range of agriculture-related courses available to prospective young farmers in each of the country's State-funded third level institutes, universities and colleges in the current 2013-14 academic year. [49470/13]

Traveller Community

Brendan Griffin

256. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his future plans for Traveller education; the reason for recent cuts in this area of education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49494/13]

School Funding

Clare Daly

257. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is permissible for schools to charge a €110 for mock exams papers to be corrected by an external examiner; and if he will consider bringing in a rule that would prevent such activity from occurring as it obviously places an enormous burden on hard pressed families. [49553/13]

Higher Education Courses Provision

Clare Daly

258. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to develop access to third level education particularly at masters and doctorate levels for mature students. [49555/13]

Special Educational Needs Staff Remuneration

Charlie McConalogue

259. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a special needs assistant can be employed as a substitute during the year after which they have been made redundant without having to repay their redundancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49585/13]

School Transport Availability

Éamon Ó Cuív

260. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons school transport has not been provided to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; if a review requested recently has been carried out by Bus Éireann; if so, the decision of this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49589/13]

Schools Building Projects Status

Michael Creed

261. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for an extension to a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49611/13]

Public Sector Pensions Legislation

Terence Flanagan

262. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a referendum could be held on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48835/13]

Haddington Road Agreement Implementation

Catherine Murphy

263. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way persons working in a particular sector, who are not members of a trade union, may still be bound by the terms of collective bargaining agreements such as the Haddington Road agreement entered into by large trades unions representing that sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49306/13]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Jack Wall

264. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is due to pay a public service contribution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49386/13]

State Properties Data

John Deasy

265. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of State-owned buildings in each county that were unoccupied in each of the years 2007 to 2012 inclusive. [49465/13]

State Properties Data

John Deasy

266. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual maintenance and security costs attached to unoccupied State-owned buildings in each of the years 2007 to 2012 inclusive. [49466/13]

Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest

Ciara Conway

267. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide more detail on protections afforded to whistleblowers in the public service including their rights and the way they will be afforded protection as claims are investigated; the steps being taken to monitor and replace poorly performing managers across the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48915/13]

Public Sector Staff Redeployment

Simon Harris

268. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the processes in place for a public servant who wishes to be re-deployed from one State agency to another; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48930/13]

Flood Relief Schemes Applications

Éamon Ó Cuív

269. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when remedial works will commence on the River Clare in County Galway to prevent further flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48931/13]

Office of the Ombudsman Remit

Ciara Conway

270. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the Ombudsman has no role in investigating Údarás Na Gaeilge; his plans to address same; the way those without the means to launch a legal appeal can query any unsatisfactory outcomes with Údarás Na Gaeilge in the absence of an Ombudsman investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49011/13]

North-South Implementation Bodies

Gerry Adams

271. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total budget for each All Ireland Body established under the Good Friday Agreement for the years 2010 to date in 2013; and any proposed budget reductions to the these bodies currently being considered. [49347/13]

Programme for Government Implementation

Micheál Martin

272. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the referendum to protect the right of citizens to communicate in confidence with public representatives will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43146/13]

Haddington Road Agreement Implementation

Micheál Martin

273. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the progress of the Haddington Road agreement. [44104/13]

European Council Meetings

Gerry Adams

274. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the withdrawal of EU funding for the Maze Long Kesh site has been raised at the recent European Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47685/13]