Parliamentary questions

Air Quality

Regina Doherty

591. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding the locations and timeframe for introduction of the national ambient air monitoring network. [24215/17]

Health Services Provision

Regina Doherty

260. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of persons employed to provide occupational therapy in County Meath; the number of vacant occupational therapy positions in County Meath; when these vacant positions will be filled; the number of persons waiting to receive occupational therapy; the time these persons have been waiting on treatment; the overall size of the backlog; the expected dates of treatments for these persons; and the expected time new persons will wait for treatment in tabular form. [18973/17]

Teacher Data

Regina Doherty

121. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers employed by his Department and-or ETBs as unqualified eligible part-time or full-time teachers since 1994; and the number of these ETBs that are or were on the incremental salary pay scale. [10588/17]

Education and Training Provision

Regina Doherty

129. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of tourism and hospitality skills training positions that were allocated to the Meath East constituency in 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6210/17]

Education and Training Provision

Regina Doherty

130. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding that was allocated to the Meath East constituency for tourism and hospitality skills training in 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6211/17]

VAT Yield

Regina Doherty

122. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the value of VAT receipts which were collected in County Meath in each of the years 2014, 2015 and to date in 2016. [38796/16]

Roads Maintenance Funding

Regina Doherty

478. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the value of road block funding grants allocated to each county for each of the years 2014, 2015 and to date in 2016 in tabular form. [38798/16]

Hospital Staff

Regina Doherty

518. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the transfer of a person (details supplied) from the ambulance services to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, as per a previous appointment which has since been retracted. [34690/16]

Commercial Rates Yield

Regina Doherty

191. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown in commercial rates, in tabular form, collected by Meath County Council associated with occupiers of commercial and industrial property within Ashbourne town. [33373/16]

Treatment Abroad Scheme

Regina Doherty

671. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive will provide treatment for a person (details supplied) who is undergoing treatment in Germany, having been informed that it is not available here following diagnosis of (details supplied). [9599/16]

Cancer Services Provision

Regina Doherty

217. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of persons undergoing treatment for cancer at all public hospitals in each month of 2015, in tabular form. [9159/16]

Cancer Services Provision

Regina Doherty

218. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of persons undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer at all public hospitals in each month of 2015, in tabular form. [9160/16]

Community Employment Schemes Supervisors

Regina Doherty

116. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to reinstate pension entitlements for retired community employment supervisors, given the recommendation from the Labour Court advising for the immediate provision of same.
[8061/16]

Garda Remuneration

Regina Doherty

191. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of sending wage and payslips for every member of An Garda Síochána by post. [8064/16]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Regina Doherty

234. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if three children, triplets, who turned three on 15 October 2015, are entitled to free preschool which commenced in January 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8063/16]

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Regina Doherty

259. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he will provide for the funding and provision of special footwear to a person (details supplied) on the basis of ability matters; and the reason for the delay in same. [8010/16]

Medical Card Appeals

Regina Doherty

264. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if consideration can be given to reinstating a medical card to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [8030/16]

Road Tolls

Regina Doherty

474. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the motorway toll usage by residents of County Meath in each of the years 2012 to 2015, in tabular form. [8065/16]

Employment Rights

Regina Doherty

153. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to recognise the au pair programme officially; and if he plans to recognise au pairs as a separate category of worker under employment law. [6374/16]

VAT Rate Increases

Regina Doherty

53. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Finance to amend the value added tax rates on sunbed sessions and on sunscreen, given the 13.5% rate on sunbed sessions and the 23% rate on sunscreen and the significantly increased risk of a number of skin cancers attributable to sunbed use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4718/16]

VAT Rate Application

Regina Doherty

417. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he will amend the VAT rates on sunbed sessions and on sunscreen, given the 13.5% rate on sunbed sessions and the 23% rate on sunscreen, and given the significantly increased risk of a number of skin cancers attributable to sunbed use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4585/16]

Housing Adaptation Grant Data

Regina Doherty

556. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of stair lifts installed and paid for, by cost of installation, by local authority, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4587/16]

Home Help Service

Regina Doherty

242. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the cost of every million home help hours provided; the number of home help hours provided in the Health Service Executive's plan for 2016; the cost of these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3495/16]

Hospital Procedures

Regina Doherty

243. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the approximate number of operations, per million euro, that can take place by the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3496/16]

Hospital Services

Regina Doherty

362. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of women who received a second trimester ultrasound, by hospital, in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3098/16]

Maternity Services Provision

Regina Doherty

363. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of women who gave birth, by hospital, in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3099/16]

Departmental Projects

Regina Doherty

485. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will commission A Written History of the Post Office by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3124/16]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Regina Doherty

737. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills when and where an apprenticeship programme for bricklaying will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46477/15]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Regina Doherty

451. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if a date for surgery will be arranged for a person (details supplied); the reasons for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46078/15]

Medical Card Data

Regina Doherty

451. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of persons 80 years of age and over who are in receipt of a full medical card; the economic cost of a medical card (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45167/15]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

Regina Doherty

458. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the cost of hiring an advanced nurse practitioner, a consultant, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a staff nurse and an additional dentist, each at entry level; if he will improve the rheumatology service within public hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45209/15]

Site Acquisitions

Regina Doherty

158. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the purchase of a site for a school (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43165/15]

Census of Population Data

Regina Doherty

120. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Taoiseach the number of applicants over 70 years of age who applied for the position of field supervisor for census 2016; the number who were employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42664/15]

Departmental Staff

Regina Doherty

125. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Taoiseach the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43284/15]

Departmental Staff

Regina Doherty

191. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of employees under her remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43286/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

230. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42900/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

241. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43282/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

302. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43273/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

305. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Defence the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43277/15]

Departmental Staff

Regina Doherty

358. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of employees under her remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43283/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

383. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43275/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

483. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43281/15]

Departmental Staff

Regina Doherty

492. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43280/15]

Teaching Contracts

Regina Doherty

539. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills how many employees in the primary and secondary school system are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; how many of these are receiving incremental salary payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42899/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

543. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of employees under her remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43278/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

595. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43279/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

610. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43276/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

630. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43285/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Regina Doherty

643. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of employees under her remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43274/15]

Prisoner Releases

Regina Doherty

145. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of premature and early releases from Irish prisons in the past ten years, in tabular form. [41866/15]

Youth Justice Strategy

Regina Doherty

318. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of young offenders who reoffend; the estimated number of young offenders who enter the criminal justice system each year, and the combined number of convictions between them; the number of school-age adolescents who engage with Garda Síochána diversion programmes in each year; the percentage of young offenders who are unemployed 12 months after release; and the percentage of young offenders who leave at 21 years of age with no qualification. [38974/15]

Youth Justice Strategy

Regina Doherty

319. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of offenders under 30 years of age who are unemployed at the time of arrest. [38975/15]

School Completion Programme

Regina Doherty

341. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of young persons who benefit from the school completion programme. [38978/15]

Hospital Services

Regina Doherty

356. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health for details of the baby-friendly hospital initiative; the background to it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38972/15]

Juvenile Offenders

Regina Doherty

470. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the education system within the juvenile justice system has the same inspection regime, standardised testing and supports as other schools; the additional learning supports that are provided to young offenders; the ratio of pupils to teachers in each of the detention centres, high support centres, and other centres; the measurements that are used to monitor outcomes; the percentage of young offenders whose literacy levels are under Level 1; and the education spend on the juvenile criminal justice system annually. [38976/15]

Early School Leavers

Regina Doherty

471. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of pupils who leave secondary school with no qualification. [38977/15]

Home Care Packages Provision

Regina Doherty

195. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health to set out the detail on how home care packages are put together by the Health Service Executive; the services provided by health care professionals in 2015; the agencies involved in the provision of these professionals; the average cost of the package; if these professionals are co-ordinated in community settings or centrally within the Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38934/15]

Departmental Schemes

Regina Doherty

289. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide, in tabular form, by county, a list of the claimants of the coach tourism and transport scheme rebate for the use of green diesel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30449/15]

Tax Code

Regina Doherty

317. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide clarification on the tax treatment with regard to a qualified adult allowance and a State pension, specifically pre budget 2014; and if there is an obligation to declare a spouse's pension as part of that person's income. [31003/15]

Aftercare Services Provision

Regina Doherty

682. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to amend section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 to make the State obliged to provide the necessary support to foster children and young adults to remain in their foster homes, particularly in those instances where upon turning 18 a young person who has experienced trauma and-or developmental delay is not yet ready to embrace independent living. [31276/15]

Health Services Provision

Regina Doherty

962. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Meath has not completed a course of prescribed laser treatment by their consultant in Temple Street Hospital some four years since the treatment commenced. [31272/15]

Departmental Bodies Expenditure

Regina Doherty

1544. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide, in tabular form, the expenditure of State-owned entities on self-promotion and advertising to national and local sporting agencies of funding derived from individual and household payments to utility companies such as EirGrid and An Post; and the reason this finance is not being spent on lowering the grid transmission costs or on the rural community post offices respectively. [31269/15]

Postal Codes

Regina Doherty

317. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason the nine requirements of a postcode from his Department's own postcode working group were not incorporated into the Eircode design; and the persons who and the body which specifically made the decision to exclude or ignore the nine requirements. [29262/15]

Health Services

Regina Doherty

197. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) is being forced to change service provider for that person's care and support by the Health Service Executive against this person's wishes for the reason that the person has moved from County Dublin to County Meath, given that the original service provider is happy to maintain consistency of service to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28035/15]

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Regina Doherty

214. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no uniformity throughout Ireland regarding the reimbursement of the cost of spectacles for children with Down's syndrome (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28106/15]

Schools Site Acquisitions

Regina Doherty

257. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the purchase of a permanent site in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28129/15]

Postal Codes

Regina Doherty

238. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if any other company associated or previously associated with Capita plc within the Eircode consortium, such as Bearing Point, Tico or Autoaddress, or if any personnel previously or currently on the payroll or board of any of the aforementioned companies, have developed, modified or otherwise planned to launch or relaunch a second private general practitioners enabled code in the event that Eircode is not a success. [27897/15]

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Regina Doherty

410. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason funding for equipment, such as vibrating pager systems, for deaf persons under the age of 65 years is not provided for by the Health Service Executive in County Meath under the technical aids and appliances grant for the past four to five years, given that funding was available from the executive in counties Louth, Cavan and Monaghan this year. [27541/15]

National Postcode System Expenditure

Regina Doherty

665. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide, in tabular form, the list of companies contracted for the purposes of developing Eircode; and the total cost of these contracts to date. [26355/15]

National Postcode System

Regina Doherty

666. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the companies contracted for the purposes of developing Eircode developed a second private global positioning system enabled code in the event that Eircode was not a success. [26356/15]

Hospital Services

Regina Doherty

167. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Meath was administered an injection in a toilet prior to a surgical procedure in Navan hospital in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22817/15]

HSE Properties

Regina Doherty

681. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the Health Service Executive's plans for lands in Ratoath, County Meath, purchased to build a medical centre on ten years ago; the timeframe for development or disposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21509/15]

Orthodontic Services Provision

Regina Doherty

688. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason a child (details supplied) in County Meath must wait two and a half years before she will be fitted with braces by the orthodontic unit in Navan, County Meath [21579/15]

Wind Energy Guidelines

Regina Doherty

1036. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government under what wind guidelines will a planning application (details supplied) be adjudicated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21466/15]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Regina Doherty

266. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the costs associated with supporting children with disabilities to access the early childhood care and education scheme year, by providing special needs assistant support where required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19443/15]

Disability Support Services

Regina Doherty

277. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 485 of 6 May 2015, if he will provide details of the work, remit and terms of reference of the health and education steering committee; the number of times it has met; the progress and outputs to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19460/15]

Disability Support Services

Regina Doherty

330. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the work and outputs of the Health Service Executive's national programme on progressing disability services for children and young people; the structure in place within the executive to ensure progress; the directorate it comes under; the number of meetings, consultations and so on it has held with community groups; if it reports regularly on the executive's website; the impact it has had to date; its forthcoming plans; the funding allocation it receives and disseminates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19462/15]

Teacher Training Provision

Regina Doherty

426. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of providing continual professional development for teachers annually for the past ten years; the number of teachers and principals in each of the past ten years attending; the way the development is structured; if there is a set number of hours to be attended; the difference between teacher and principal development; if she will provide details of the new leadership centre recently announced; if her Department provides financial support to teachers participating in additional educational qualifications (details supplied); if her Department's inspectorate plays a role in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19458/15]

Educational Projects

Regina Doherty

427. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 487 of 6 May 2015 the cost of implementing a digital strategy; if this will include broadband in all primary schools; the cost of this alone; the number of primary schools that already have broadband; if capital funding has been allocated for the implementation of the digital strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19459/15]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Regina Doherty

428. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 475 of 6 May 2015 the flexibility school management has in its staffing schedule should a principal wish to place priority on junior over senior classes, for example; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19461/15]

Pension Provisions

Regina Doherty

201. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason the Electricity Supply Board has not incorporated the legislative provisions of the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995 into its pension scheme rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18805/15]

Pension Provisions

Regina Doherty

202. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995 was concealed from Electricity Supply Board's management and pension fund trustees, until they became aware of it during a very public dispute in December 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18808/15]

Wildlife Conservation

Regina Doherty

647. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding an alleged breach of the Wildlife Acts in February 2014 (details supplied) in Donabate in County Dublin; and if she will instruct the National Parks and Wildlife Service to report on the status of the complaint made. [18699/15]

Wildlife Conservation

Regina Doherty

648. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the transformer which was damaged, allegedly by a person (details supplied) in Donabate in County Dublin, in February 2015; and if she will instruct the Electricity Supply Board to report on the repair works required, including costs. [18700/15]

Foreshore Issues

Regina Doherty

649. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will instruct the National Parks and Wildlife Service to report on the status of the request to remove an area of the Broadmeadow Estuary in Donabate in County Dublin from the Annual Foreshore Licence issued under the Wildlife Acts. [18701/15]

Schools Building Projects Status

Regina Doherty

188. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) in County Meath has, under the national school building programme, received funding to build a new extra classroom to allow for more places for children to be offered-allocated, but due to lack of funding, there is no teacher availability to teach the extra children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17988/15]

School Meals Programme

Regina Doherty

64. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of breakfast clubs operating in primary and post-primary schools each year for the past five years; the cost of providing such a service annually for the past five years; the number of the schools concerned that are DEIS schools; the facilities required for a school to commence a breakfast club; the benefits of a breakfast club; if all pupils in the school can avail of the breakfast club or if it is for junior classes only; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17560/15]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Regina Doherty

475. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, the current pupil-teacher ratio in primary and secondary schools, in schools under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme and in special schools; the cost of reducing the pupil-teacher ratio by one point, two points, three points, four points, five points in both primary and secondary schools; her plans to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in September 2015-2016; and the number of additional teachers required to address each point reduction. [17501/15]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Regina Doherty

476. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, the pupil-teacher ratio in primary and secondary schools, in schools under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme and in special schools each year for the past ten years; her future plans in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17502/15]

Capitation Grants

Regina Doherty

477. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular format, the current capitation rate in primary and secondary schools, in schools under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme and in special schools for the past ten years; the cost of increasing or restoring the capitation rate to each of these; her future plans in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17503/15]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Regina Doherty

480. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of special schools currently in receipt of funding; the number of special classes in primary and secondary schools; the number of proposed schools and classes under consideration; the cost of provision of each school and special class; the numbers of pupils attending these schools and classes; and the number of teachers assigned to these schools and classes. [17551/15]

National Educational Psychological Service Staff

Regina Doherty

481. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of National Educational Psychological Service psychologists each year for the past ten years; the ratio of psychologists to groups of schools, broken down by primary and post-primary, each year for the past ten years; and the cost annually for the past ten years of the service. [17552/15]

National Educational Psychological Service Administration

Regina Doherty

482. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current waiting list for assessment by the National Educational Psychological Service psychologists, and for the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17553/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Regina Doherty

483. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of resource teachers in both primary and post-primary schools, each year for the past five years; the number of pupils in receipt of resource hours each year for the past five years; the average period of time each pupil receives; and the annual cost of resource hours for the past five years. [17555/15]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Regina Doherty

484. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular format, the number of special needs assistants in both primary and post-primary schools, each year for the past five years; the number of pupils in receipt of such hours each year for the past five years; and the annual cost for the past five years. [17558/15]

Speech and Language Therapy Provision

Regina Doherty

485. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action taken by schools where a pupil requires speech and language supports in primary and post-primary schools; and the level of engagement between her Department and the Health Service Executive on this matter. [17559/15]

Schools Health and Safety

Regina Doherty

486. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to banning vending machines in primary and post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17561/15]

Educational Projects

Regina Doherty

487. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for a digital strategy for schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17562/15]

Teacher Data

Regina Doherty

488. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made to date in dealing with underperforming teachers; the role the Teaching Council can play; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17563/15]

School Transport Administration

Regina Doherty

511. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills following the ruling by the European Commission in October 2014 on the unsatisfactory tendering arrangements in place between her Department and Bus Éireann for the school transport scheme, when the recommendation from the Commission that the school transport scheme contract be put out to tender will actually commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17826/15]