Parliamentary questions

Departmental Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

125. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the discussions he has held regarding the ceasing of funding for Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta Teo from the end of December 2013 which provides support and advice to schools in Gaeltacht regions; and his plans to address the situation. [42189/13]

Construction Contracts

Jonathan O'Brien

21. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the code of practice for adjudication under the Construction Contracts Bill will be published. [42521/13]

Small and Medium Enterprises Supports

Jonathan O'Brien

111. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the take-up of the partial loan guarantee scheme and microenterprise loan scheme for each year that it has been in operation. [42621/13]

Credit Guarantee Scheme Review

Jonathan O'Brien

112. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the findings and recommendations of the external review of the partial loan guarantee scheme; and if he will make public the full review. [42622/13]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications

Jonathan O'Brien

113. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in view of the low levels of take up of the microenterprise loan scheme, if he will consider bringing forward the fundamental review of the programme. [42623/13]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

114. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the set up costs and ongoing administrative costs per year associated with the microenterprise loan scheme. [42624/13]

Bullying in Schools

Jonathan O'Brien

58. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons circular 045/2013 has not been placed on a statutory footing. [42470/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

61. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has carried out an impact analysis on increasing the pupil-teacher ratio in primary and post-primary schools. [42471/13]

Departmental Appointments

Jonathan O'Brien

90. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired or non-serving teachers or school principals or deputy principals who have been appointed to work with his Department to roll out the new junior cycle reforms; the years in which the retirees took up retirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42188/13]

Literacy and Numeracy Strategy

Jonathan O'Brien

201. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the proposed spring 2014 standardised tests in literacy and numeracy for second level second year students are on schedule to be carried out; and if his Department is confident that these tests, which are an integral part of his strategy for literacy and numeracy, will be conducted for English literacy, litearthacht sa Ghaeilge, numeracy and Uimhearthacht. [41878/13]

Departmental Programmes

Jonathan O'Brien

210. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of any projects or programmes initiated by his Department which were ended or abandoned before completion; the costs and duration of each of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41959/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

266. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department collates figures for teacher absenteeism in primary and secondary schools; and the way this information is collated and the headline results generated. [42526/13]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

267. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a study carried out by the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board on teacher absenteeism; his views on the finding of the report which indicated that the average rate of absenteeism was 3.4%; and the way these findings compare with other similar studies that he may be aware of carried out by other relevant authorities across the State. [42527/13]

Central Bank of Ireland Investigations

Jonathan O'Brien

25. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he will instruct the Central Bank of Ireland to listen to and forward on its comments on the rest of the Anglo Irish Bank recordings to which it has access to the Garda and Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. [41510/13]

Overseas Development Aid Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

23. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way his Department is implementing commitments it has entered into as part of the International Aid Transparency Initiative processes. [41149/13]

Human Rights Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

35. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the continued widespread human rights abuses by the Bahraini regime; the recent announcement of an Arab Court of Human Rights to be based in Bahrain when it is established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41159/13]

Public Transport Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

124. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the actions he has taken to investigate the effects of allowing private operators to compete for routes with Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann on overall service and its social obligations. [40910/13]

Employment Data

Jonathan O'Brien

146. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Taoiseach the proportion of overall employment which is accounted for by public service employment for the most recent five years for which data is available. [40676/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

266. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of hours the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board has met since it was formed this year. [40775/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

267. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his view on whether it is sufficient that the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board meets once a month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40776/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

268. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider directing the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board to hold meetings on a series of consecutive days until it has resolved outstanding issues. [40777/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

269. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a progress report on the work of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board to date including costs and expenses claimed by each member. [40778/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

270. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board has determined the range of approved services within four classes of service stipulated in the Act, that is, mental health services including counselling and psychological support, health and personal social services, education services and housing services; the criteria by reference to which it will make decisions in respect of applications to those services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40779/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

271. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the salary being paid to the chief executive officer of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board will be deducted from the €110 million RISF. [40780/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

272. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which funds from the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund will be released to survivors of institutional abuse; and if the board has the requisite powers to refund former residents of institutions who have expended personal funds on health and other services stipulated in the Act before or since the establishment day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40781/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

273. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if all 15,000 names and addresses of former residents of institutions who received awards at the Residential Institutions Redress Board have been transferred to the RISF board; if he will state the precise date of the data transfer and format or formats used for the transfer and explain the reason such data transfer appears to have occurred before any applications have been considered by the RISF board; if he will provide assurances regarding the security of the data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40782/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Establishment

Jonathan O'Brien

274. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of money transferred from the former Education Finance Board to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund on the establishment day; if he will explain the way funds have been expended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40783/13]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Jonathan O'Brien

275. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he believes the 2012 Act establishing the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund contains the requisite powers to allow the RISF board to continue funding annually renewable life-skills courses for qualifying former residents of institutions commenced under the authority of the former Education Finance Board, the dissolved body, but not completed or renewed due to depletion of funds at that board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40784/13]

Residential Institutions Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

276. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will meet the group Right to Peace around the issue of statutory redress services for survivors of institutional abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40785/13]

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

297. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total salary cost for each Department for the most recent five years for which data is available. [40679/13]

Job Losses

Jonathan O'Brien

306. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the jobs lost in Industrial Development Agency client companies for each salary band from €20,000, in bands of €10,000, for each year since 2007. [40674/13]

Job Creation Data

Jonathan O'Brien

307. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Agency for which a salary is in excess of €150,000 per year. [40675/13]

Job Creation Data

Jonathan O'Brien

308. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Agency in customer care, international sales and research and development for each year since 2007. [40677/13]

Job Creation Data

Jonathan O'Brien

309. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Agency that require a foreign language to native speaker level for each year since 2007. [40678/13]

Hospital Services

Jonathan O'Brien

32. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to address the waiting lists for rehabilitation services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40053/13]

Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists

Jonathan O'Brien

56. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to address the waiting lists for orthodontic services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40054/13]

EU Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

21. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria for selecting eligibility for funding via the ERF and EIF funding mechanism. [39753/13]

EU Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

33. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of the ERF and EIF funding allocated to Ireland that has been spent and the amount remaining. [39752/13]

Expenditure Reviews

Jonathan O'Brien

45. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress made on the proposal contained in the comprehensive review of expenditure 2012 -2014 on shared finance services, and HR services across national cultural institutions; and the savings that would be made by the implementation of this proposal. [38508/13]

Expenditure Reviews

Jonathan O'Brien

56. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress made on the proposal contained in the comprehensive review of expenditure 2012 -2014 on having a single event manager post which could promote the facilities in the national cultural institutions under one brand; the progress and the savings that would be made by the implementation of this proposal [38507/13]

Transition Year Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

292. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the schools in 2011/12 that provided voluntary and compulsory transitional year programmes; the number of teachers it takes to implement transitional year in State funded schools and the estimated cost to the Department for implementing transitional year on an annual basis at post-primary level. [37315/13]

Teacher Training Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

293. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary school teachers who participated in summer training schemes in 2011/12; the amount of days in lieu awarded to PS teachers who partook in these summer schools and the amount spent by the DES in providing temporary cover for those teachers who had received time in lieu. [37316/13]

Minimum School Entry Age

Jonathan O'Brien

294. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has discussed with Minister for Education in Northern Ireland the possibility of standardising the minimum age for when primary school students in both jurisdictions are eligible to transfer to post-primary school. [37317/13]

Student Grant Scheme Delays

Jonathan O'Brien

390. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that there will be no delay in processing higher education grants this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38365/13]

Teacher Substitution Scheme

Jonathan O'Brien

398. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total cost per annum to the supervision and substitution scheme in the education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38409/13]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Jonathan O'Brien

407. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to amend the system of paying salaries of teachers in fee-paying schools. [38570/13]

Planning Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

457. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason for the delay in ensuring that the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin, is wheelchair accessible; the date on which the Journey of Light Memorial Project will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38253/13]

Shared Ownership Scheme

Jonathan O'Brien

948. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his attempts to address the needs of those who entered into shared ownership schemes with councils but have seen their financial circumstances change, while being unable to claim rent supplement for the part of their home that they rent from the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38284/13]

Defence Forces Properties

Jonathan O'Brien

11. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Defence the security measures in place and their cost at closed Army bases. [35930/13]

Hydraulic Fracturing Policy

Jonathan O'Brien

38. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the Environmental Protection Agency will begin work on its report on unconventional gas exploration and extraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35031/13]