Parliamentary questions

Ministerial Appointments

Micheál Martin

1. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the board appointments he has made recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50123/13]

Ministerial Appointments

Joe Higgins

2. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he has made any board appointments recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9025/14]

State Visits

Gerry Adams

3. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to Japan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52527/13]

State Visits

Gerry Adams

4. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he reached any specific agreements with the Government of Japan on job creation and investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52528/13]

State Visits

Micheál Martin

5. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he held any bilateral meetings in Japan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52569/13]

State Visits

Joe Higgins

6. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on meetings he has had with Japanese Government officials during his recent visit to Japan. [53717/13]

State Visits

Micheál Martin

7. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if the issue of Japanese-Chinese relations was discussed at the bilateral with Prime Minister Abe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53723/13]

State Visits

Richard Boyd Barrett

8. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meetings with the Japanese Government during his visit to Japan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6349/14]

Official Engagements

Gerry Adams

9. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he discussed with the US Vice President Joe Biden, during their conversation in Japan, the absence of a US ambassador to Ireland; if the Vice President clarified the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52591/13]

Official Engagements

Gerry Adams

10. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he discussed with the US Vice President Joe Biden during his recent discussions in Japan the continuing plight of the undocumented Irish living in the United States. [52592/13]

Official Engagements

Richard Boyd Barrett

11. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden in Japan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52668/13]

Official Engagements

Richard Boyd Barrett

12. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if the issue of corporation tax here was raised at his meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden in Japan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52669/13]

Official Engagements

Joe Higgins

13. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the US Vice President; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53718/13]

Official Engagements

Micheál Martin

14. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if Japanese-Chinese relations were discussed at his bilateral with US Vice President Biden; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53724/13]

School Enrolments Data

Charlie McConalogue

99. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools from the September 2013 returns on pupil numbers that fall into the following categories: schools with 85 pupils, 54 or 55 pupils, and 17 to 19 pupils; the number of schools in the September 2013 pupil returns that are in each of the categories 81 to 84 pupils, 49 to 53 pupils, and 12 to 16 pupils, and therefore already subject to increases in pupil-teacher thresholds introduced by him; when he will publish the full details of the September 2013 pupil returns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9361/14]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Jonathan O'Brien

100. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the anomalies within the Student Universal Support Ireland grant application system that are causing extreme hardship for many students. [9431/14]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Finian McGrath

101. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding providing resource hours for children with Down's syndrome in mainstream schools. [9352/14]

State Examinations Reviews

Charlie McConalogue

102. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of times and dates on which he has personally engaged in meetings with the teaching partners to discuss junior certificate reform proposals since becoming Minister; the status of progress on implementing the junior certificate reform programme; if he will commit to independent assessment of the new junior cycle student award as recommended by the National Council on Curriculum and Assessment working group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9362/14]

Schools Amalgamation

Jonathan O'Brien

103. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are proposals by a number of patron bodies to amalgamate primary schools and the distress that this is causing to parents and pupils as a result; and his plans to address this situation. [9432/14]

Educational Reform

Patrick O'Donovan

104. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the recent reports into the benefit or otherwise of giving homework to children in primary schools, if he will consider engaging with the stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of homework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9098/14]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Charlie McConalogue

105. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way his Department is preparing for the anticipated surge in pupil numbers at post-primary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9140/14]

School Accommodation

Seán Kyne

106. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will indicate the options open to a primary school with prefabricated classroom accommodation owned by his Department which is in need of urgent repair, particularly in consideration of the current replacement scheme which favours schools with rented prefabricated classroom accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9088/14]

School Guidance Counsellors

Maureen O'Sullivan

107. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the national audit of guidance and counselling practice in second level schools in Ireland 2011-2013; the implications of the national audit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8918/14]

School Transport Administration

Lucinda Creighton

108. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the European Commission is likely to investigate his Department for breach of state aid rules; if he has taken any pre-emptive action by his Department regarding the school transport services administered by Bus Éireann on behalf of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9154/14]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

David Stanton

109. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has issued written policy documents or guidelines for schools regarding integrating children with special needs, in particular autism spectrum disorders, into mainstream schooling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8919/14]

Third Level Grant Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

110. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which his Department has studied the number of applicants for higher education courses who are refused funding or back to education allowance on the grounds that they have previously studied or completed a course at a similar level on the national framework of qualifications, NFQ, despite the fact that their existing qualification is deemed to be insufficient to meet the requirements of the workplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9166/14]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Clare Daly

111. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that children with Down's syndrome due to start school in September will be given automatic access to resource teaching hours equal to those on offer in respect of children in the low-incidence category.. [8916/14]

School Curriculum

Ciara Conway

112. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made in relation to the draft leaving certificate politics and society course; when he plans to roll it out to schools; the way it will relate to the review of the CSPE programme at junior cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9027/14]

School Health and Safety

Thomas Pringle

113. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to restrict the availability of confectionary products in schools; if he will consider a ban on the selling of such products on school premises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9156/14]

School Transport Administration

Lucinda Creighton

114. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his views on whether the European Commission may make adverse findings against his Department for being in breach of EU state aid rules in respect of the school transport services administered by Bus Éireann on behalf of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9155/14]

Schools Establishment

Seán Kyne

115. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the progress of establishing a primary level school in Galway city in the format of the Steiner model of education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9087/14]

Schools Building Projects Status

David Stanton

116. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on progress with regard to a large number of school building projects in the east Cork area due to go to construction in 2014-5, as per his Department's five year school building programme announced on 12 March 2012, in particular two new primary schools in Midleton (details supplied), the amalgamation of the two primary schools in Carrigtwohill and a new second level school in Carrigtwohill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8920/14]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Seamus Kirk

117. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be no introduction of a capital assets test for assessing eligibility for third level student grants; if he will be publishing the report of the capital asset test implementation group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9141/14]

Student Universal Support Ireland Administration

Joanna Tuffy

118. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress this year with the Student Universal Support Ireland grants service and supports provided by his Department for access programmes in our third level institutions for disadvantaged students; if his Department has had consultations with the teaching colleges to consider offering access programmes specifically to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to train as teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8910/14]

Broadband Service Provision

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

119. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure wireless connectively in every classroom; the ICT supports there will be for the introduction of standardised testing for second year students in 2016; if he is considering a national system for technical support for ICT in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9151/14]

School Guidance Counsellors

Charlie McConalogue

120. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make a policy decision to utilise the facility database in his Department, which is the database used by schools for making their returns, to determine if all post-primary schools are complying with the requirements of section 9(c) of the Education Act; the schools which employ a guidance counsellor with a qualification recognised by his Department and the schools which do not do so; the number of hours each of these guidance counsellors was given to do his or her specific guidance work in 2011-12 in comparison with 2012-13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9147/14]

School Curriculum

Mick Wallace

121. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the manner in which young persons are educated about sex and issues such as abortion in secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6634/14]

School Curriculum

John Lyons

122. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the draft leaving certificate politics and society course; when he plans to roll it out to schools; the way it will be assessed; the way it will relate to the review of the CSPE programme at junior cycle, in view of the fact that course will no longer be compulsory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8911/14]

School Staffing

Éamon Ó Cuív

123. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of two class teacher, three teacher, four teacher and five teacher, excluding learning support and resource teachers but including teaching principals, schools that have lost teachers in the school years commencing September 2012 and 2013; the number due to lose teachers in September 2014; the name, address and roll number of each school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8907/14]

School Enrolments Data

Denis Naughten

124. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to share school enrolment data with the Department of Social Protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8908/14]

School Curriculum

Brendan Smith

125. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the submission by school management and professional bodies to his Department on the need for an external assessment model to support the process of school-based assessment in the junior cycle framework, if he will be proposing a model of external assessment; if he will provide information regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9152/14]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Colm Keaveney

126. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied that children with dyslexia are receiving the help they require in school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8969/14]

Schools Amalgamation

Billy Kelleher

127. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the role his Department plays in schools amalgamation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9090/14]

School Curriculum

Catherine Murphy

128. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the precise guidelines and regulations schools must adhere to in the delivery of sex education to pupils; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some schools invite external organisations to provide sex education based on religious beliefs and practice which may be contrary to proper medical advice without seeking parental consent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9138/14]

Schools Building Projects Status

Mattie McGrath

129. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the works promised for a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9096/14]

Early Years Strategy Implementation

Robert Troy

130. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the final report on the Síolta quality assurance programme which he launched on 7 February last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9158/14]

School Curriculum

Charlie McConalogue

131. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify recent comments made by him at the Irish Primary Principals' Network conference suggesting that teachers could choose not to teach religion in primary schools; if he is therefore planning to make changes to time allocated to teaching religion in the curriculum in this regard; his plans to address teachers' concerns regarding curriculum overload; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9144/14]

Child Protection

Charlie McConalogue

132. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he will be taking following the judgment from the European Court of Human Rights in the case of a person (details supplied). [9146/14]

Schools Amalgamation

Jonathan O'Brien

133. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to recent proposals by religious patrons to close a number of primary schools across the State and the consequences this will have for children and communities. [9165/14]

School Accommodation

Richard Boyd Barrett

134. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason he does not feel it appropriate to talk to the parents and board of management of a school (details supplied) in view of the uncertainty surrounding location for the school which is due to open in September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9148/14]