Parliamentary questions

Asylum Seeker Accommodation

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

180. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there has been any movement in changing the way in which pending refugee applicants are being housed in Direct Provision Centres, which are often over crowded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53102/12]

Domestic Violence Incidence

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

216. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of persons broken down by county, who are using front line services for victims of domestic violence and if such a breakdown could include numerical figures for those using said services who are under the age of 18 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53100/12]

Criminal Prosecutions Issues

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

516. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will clarify the application of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act (1997) to instances of cyber bullying and the way Gardai should interpret the law in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52728/12]

Being Young and Irish Initiative

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

606. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of the proposals from the Being Young and Irish initiative, established by President Higgings; if she will pursue and if she has a timeline for implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52737/12]

Bullying in Schools

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

263. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a circular will be prepared and sent to all schools outlining a detailed policy on tackling cyber bullying, in view of the recent cases of suicide caused by such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51494/12]

Human Rights Issues

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

482. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of Ireland's seat on the UN Human Rights Council, when he plans to grant Irish Travellers ethnic status in recognition of their human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51492/12]

Proposed Legislation

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

483. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view the recent cases of suicide as a result of cyberbullying, if he will move legislation to allow Gardaí to obtain and investigate IP addresses from firms cited to be involved in these bullying cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51493/12]

Services for People with Disabilities

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

232. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to representations regarding St Micheal's House, Dublin 9; the impact that past cutbacks have had on the services offered by them to the community and the potential impact that further cuts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50671/12]

Residency Permits

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

809. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of non-EEA national aged between 16 and 18 years who are currently registered here; and if he will provide a breakdown of the types of residency stamps issued to them. [48328/12]

Cycle to Work Scheme Retention

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

124. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Finance if the bike to work scheme will be continued beyond Budget 2013; if yes, if members of the public may, if starting the scheme from now, spread the payments over six or 12 month period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46315/12]

Third Level Funding

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

99. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the student assistant fund, which currently helps students in hardship situations and is part funded by the European Union, is due to be wound down in 2013; if preparations are being made for a replacement fund to be established which will safeguard student welfare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43677/12]

Student Councils Issues

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

211. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if statistics are available on the number of democratic student-led student councils that are currently in place and the support and training structures been put in place to encourage the establishment of these in second-level schools on a coordinated national level; if he will provide these details in tabular form broken down into regions and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42906/12]

School Curriculum

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

180. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an audit has taken place on a number of pupils, in the primary sector, who posses the ability to speak a foreign language; if so, if he will provide the results in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41838/12]

School Curriculum

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

181. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide Dáil Éireann with a detailed breakdown, in tabular form, of foreign languages that are taught at both junior and leaving certificate level; if he will outline this by region and county; if he will provide the number of pupils who are studying each language as both a figure and a percentage, from the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41839/12]

Proposed Legislation

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

424. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline the timeframe for the implementation of the EU directive on parental leave; if he will confirm that legislation to implement said directive will be in place by 2013; if he will provide Dáil Éireann with a complete outline on what the legislation will propose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41847/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

496. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an update on the introduction of a Scandinavian style childcare system; the timeframe in which such a system will be implemented; if she will provide a detailed breakdown of the cost of introducing such a scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41840/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

497. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a detailed account in tabular form, of the number of persons working in the preschool and early childcare sector dealing directly with children; if she will provide Dáil Éireann with the numbers at each level of qualification as outlined by the Higher Education Authority 10 level framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41841/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

498. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the protections that are in place regarding child-minders; if she will confirm if they will be subject to the children first legislation and if not the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41842/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

499. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a figure on the number of independent child minders currently looking after children who are not deemed to be familial relatives. [41843/12]

Preschool Services

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

500. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an update on the expansion of the free pre-school year in early childhood care and education programme; if such an extension will begin for children at the age of two years, thus allowing them two years of pre-school learning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41844/12]

Child and Family Support Agency Establishment

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

501. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide the timeline on the establishment of the new child and family support agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41845/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

502. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide Dáil Éireann with the legal definition, as defined by her, of the term child minder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41846/12]

Hospital Staff Issues

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

512. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health his views on the two year waiting list for an appointment with an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Beaumont hospital (details supplied) in Dublin 17; and the actions being taken to reduce the waiting list [41249/12]

UN Conventions

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

6. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the State has signed the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Communications Procedure; and if so, when same will be ratified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40492/12]

UN Conventions

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

8. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the State has signed the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; and if so, when same will be ratified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40493/12]

School Guidelines on Mental Health

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

83 Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the fact that international best practice demonstrates the benefit from early intervention, when will work commence on guidelines for primary schools on mental health; if the whole-school approach will be adopted for these guidelines; the way in which unions and mental health professionals will be consulted on these guidelines; and in light of the child death review, will co-ordination between Health Service Executive child and adolescent mental health services and child welfare and protection services be mapped out in part through such guidelines.
[34175/12]

Pension Provisions

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

128 Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason she is unable to provide a forecast service to person’s in relation to their future State pension when requested to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[34091/12]

Medical Cards

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

620 Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31990/12]