Parliamentary questions

Debt Cancellation

Patrick Nulty

137. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Finance the progress made towards the cancellation of Haiti’s debt by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund; if he will confirm that Canada, which represents Ireland at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, has been pursuing this matter on Ireland’s behalf; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41867/12]

Tax Code

Brendan Griffin

138. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance the reason the pet farm part of an educational facility (details supplied) in County Kerry is not exempted from VAT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41957/12]

GDP-GNP Levels

Pearse Doherty

139. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form GDP and GNP by year from 1992 to 2011. [42003/12]

Bank Charges

Seán Kyne

140. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance if he is concerned regarding the impact of banking charges being introduced by State and non-State owned banks, the design of which appears to depend on income levels and monthly lodgement amounts which have a disproportionate affect on those with lower incomes or social welfare recipients and therefore are unfair as those with higher income can avoid the charges. [42071/12]

Employment Support Services

Simon Harris

141. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons exiting the springboard programme prior to completion due to having found employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41539/12]

Employment Support Services

Simon Harris

142. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the overall level of non-completion amongst those persons supported by the springboard programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41540/12]

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Regina Doherty

143. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown by county of vocational education committee and post leaving certificate places allocated per head of population in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41293/12]

Psychological Assessments

Martin Heydon

144. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has been waiting three years for an National Educational Psychological Service assessment, when they were deemed a priority by their school; if this case will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41304/12]

School Accommodation

Paudie Coffey

145. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will approve an application by a school (details supplied) in County Waterford for additional accommodation to replace the dilapidated, sub-standard and outdated prefabricated classrooms that currently exist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41305/12]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Patrick Nulty

146. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the pupil teacher ratio in DEIS schools will be maintained next year. [41329/12]

School Staffing

Patrick Nulty

147. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of all secondary schools who have lost so called legacy posts since September 2012; and the number of posts in each school that have been discontinued. [41330/12]

University Status

John Halligan

148. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there have been any further developments in relation to the south east and in particular Waterford Regional Technical College being granted university status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41341/12]

School Furniture

Joe Higgins

149. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a report in 2005 by the National Back Pain Association UK that considered that the backward sloping chairs that are used in nearly all schools are the main cause of back pain; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Standards Authority of Ireland is proposing that this backward slope be increased from -5 degrees to -10 degrees. [41348/12]

Sports Facilities Provision

Finian McGrath

150. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding University College Dublin and the new sports facility which has become difficult for students to access with restrictive hours. [41355/12]

Higher Education Courses Applications

Jonathan O'Brien

151. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of foreign students that Educate Ireland has attracted to third level institutions here in the 2011/12 academic year. [41360/12]

Teaching Contracts

Jonathan O'Brien

152. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of contractual teaching hours fulfilled in third level institutions in the academic year 2011/12. [41361/12]

Consultancy Contracts Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

153. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of consultancy and technical services outsourced to universities here from Government Departments in 2011/12. [41362/12]

School Staffing

Michael Healy-Rae

154. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding staffing at a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41366/12]

Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme Eligibility

John Lyons

155. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills the eligibility criteria for the vocational training opportunity scheme; if vacant course placements will be extended to those seeking to return to the workforce through education following a long break from employment; and if he will give due consideration to an application in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 [41380/12]

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Michael Creed

156. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will publish details of all allowances paid to staff in his Department; the business case made by his Department in respect of these allowances to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; the cost of each individual allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41411/12]

School Patronage

Eric J. Byrne

157. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way he proposes to vindicate the constitutional rights of the parents who live in Portobello across Dublin 6, 8 and 12, and who are involved with the Portobello Educate Together group, to ensure that their children receive a primary education that is in accordance with their conscience and lawful preference; if he will explain the way to vindicate the rights of those parents and their children if the current negotiations he is carrying out on the transformation or divestment of existing school premises are unsuccessful in generating a new multi-denominational school in the local area for September 2013. [41432/12]

School Transport Provision

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

158. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding school transport; if he will address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41434/12]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Brendan Griffin

159. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will recognise long term recipients of supplementary welfare as a long term social welfare payment when assessing income for the special rate of maintenance grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41435/12]

Schools Building Projects Applications

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy

160. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that a school (details supplied) in County Offaly has submitted an amended proposal for an extension: if he will proceed with this design / model being piloted by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41462/12]

Schools Building Projects Status

Dara Calleary

161. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the status of a school building project (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41469/12]

School Transport Appeals

Charlie McConalogue

162. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the outcome of an appeal for school transport in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41476/12]

School Transport Applications

John Paul Phelan

163. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who has been refused school transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41506/12]

Departmental Expenditure

Pearse Doherty

164. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form education spending both as a percentage of gross domestic product and in nominal terms by year from 1992 to 2011. [41521/12]

School Transport Provision

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

165. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 271 of 12 June 2012 the reason someone in Bus Éireann decided that persons (details supplied) in County Roscommon were not fit to travel together as they presented safety concerns, yet these persons share the same room at Ivy House where they are resident; the reason no-one consulted with the staff who look after them, their teachers, or their parents; if he will name the person who made the decision; if he will provide documents relating to the decision, both in the first instance and upon review; if his attention has been drawn to the waste of resources involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41538/12]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Éamon Ó Cuív

166. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if for the purposes of determining if a third level student is the required distance from the college to be eligible for the non-adjacent grant, the distance is measured from the persons home to the gates of the college or to the college building the student habitually attends, particularly in view of the size of some of the campuses, the legal and regulatory basis for the method of measuring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41580/12]

Teacher Training Provision

Éamon Ó Cuív

167. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to implement the recommendation made recently to him that teacher training will cease in colleges (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41583/12]

Site Acquisitions

Tony McLoughlin

168. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason he will not enter into negotiations with the Health Service Executive regarding the purchase, for a nominal price, of a field adjacent to a school (details supplied) in County Sligo, to provide much needed parking which would provide critical safety infrastructure at this busy primary school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41692/12]

School Curriculum

Tom Fleming

169. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will revive the modern languages in primary schools initiative in view of statistics that only 4% of primary students here learn a foreign language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41701/12]

School Transport Eligibility

Dominic Hannigan

170. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the procedures that are in place to facilitate a person (details supplied) in County Meath regarding the school transport scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41729/12]

School Transport Appeals

Michael McCarthy

171. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an appeal has been lodged in a school transport case in respect of a person (details supplied); if so, if he will issue an update on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41733/12]

English Language Training Organisations

Ciaran Lynch

172. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of establishments here that are providing English language classes for Chinese students; the number of Chinese students that have come here to study English since 2007; the strategies that are in place or under consideration to increase the number of such students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41820/12]

Physical Education Facilities

Patrick Nulty

173. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding remains in place for the construction of an extension to be used as a gym facility at a college (details supplied) in Dublin 15. [41828/12]

Pyrite Remediation Programme Issues

Patrick Nulty

174. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills when repair work needed to address the pyrite found in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 will be completed. [41829/12]

Schools Building Projects Status

Patrick Nulty

175. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the construction of new classrooms extension for a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 is in his Departments capital works programme. [41830/12]

Schools Building Projects Status

Patrick Nulty

176. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the permanent school building at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 will be ready for opening in September 2013. [41831/12]

Schools Building Projects Status

Patrick Nulty

177. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills when construction of a second level school at Tyrellstown in Dublin 15 will commence [41832/12]

Teaching Qualifications

John Lyons

178. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the payment of allowance to teachers for masters level qualifications, in particular with relation to teachers who took up further education at their own personal expense, and who would have had a legitimate expectation to receive their increases when they began their studies prior to the abolition of degree allowance in December 2011; and if he will review a specific case in respect of a person (details supplied) [41833/12]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Arthur Spring

179. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the withdrawal of special needs assistants in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41834/12]

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]

School Transport Eligibility

Patrick O'Donovan

182. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if further to correspondence from this Deputy (details supplied) if he will provide a definition of traversable; his views on whether the word traversable should only be applied to those roads that can be travelled by buses; his views on whether using routes that cannot be travelled by buses is appropriate for the purposes of calculating distances to the nearest school; his further views on whether selecting routes on that basis meets the intent of his Department's requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41854/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Brendan Griffin

183. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details provided) regarding remuneration for qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41864/12]

Third Level Courses Availability

John Deasy

184. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the recognition of the bachelor of architecture degree currently accredited at Waterford Institute of Technology and University of Limerick in other EU member states to ensure that our graduates are recognised; if he has discussed the matter with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government; when the request will be submitted to the EU for further consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41887/12]

Broadband Services Provision

Michael Creed

185. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline details of his new initiative for effective broadband service for all schools; if he will provide an update on the situation regarding a school (details supplied) in County Cork; the efforts to improve the current ineffective satellite broadband service which they receive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41893/12]

Third Level Facilities

Charlie McConalogue

186. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of international experts that were involved in a recent report commissioned by the Health Service Executive which looked at mergers in the third level sector; the names of each of the experts involved; if they were paid a fee; if so, the amount each was paid; if they received expenses; the amount of the expenses; the reason for these expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41920/12]

Third Level Facilities

Charlie McConalogue

187. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total amount spent on a report commissioned by the Higher Education Authority which looked at mergers in the third level sector; if he will provide a breakdown of the costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41921/12]

Third Level Facilities

Charlie McConalogue

188. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he approved the Higher Education Authority's decision to commission a report involving international experts looking at the third level sector; the date on which he gave this approval; the date on which he received a copy of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41922/12]

Third Level Facilities

Charlie McConalogue

189. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to publish a report commissioned by the Higher Education Authority which looks at mergers in the third level sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41923/12]

School Staffing

Charlie McConalogue

190. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has assessed the impact of changes to the provision of guidance counsellors and the effect this is having on guidance counselling services in schools in the 2012/13 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41924/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Charlie McConalogue

191. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether it is fair that teachers are to be disproportionately impacted by the cut to allowances for new entrants to the public service; if he accepts that qualification allowances for teachers are important in terms of ensuring we have a highly educated teaching force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41925/12]

School Staffing

Charlie McConalogue

192. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers that will be affected by the cuts to allowances for new entrants to teaching in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41926/12]

School Staffing

Charlie McConalogue

193. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of second level teachers who are on temporary contracts; the number of these contracts that are for one year or less; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41927/12]

School Staffing

Charlie McConalogue

194. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of second level teachers who are on reduced or part-time hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41928/12]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Charlie McConalogue

195. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has had any contact with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government regarding recent decisions by a number of county councils not to issue student grants to those whose families have not paid the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41929/12]

World University Rankings

Charlie McConalogue

196. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to the most recent World University rankings which showed the universities here have slipped again; the steps he is taking to address the impact that reduced staff numbers and increasing student numbers are having on standards in our higher education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41930/12]

State Examinations Reviews

Charlie McConalogue

197. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of times the implementation body for junior certificate reform has met since it was established; the dates on which the body met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41931/12]

Postgraduate Enrolments

Charlie McConalogue

198. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons studying at postgraduate level in 2012/13; the way this compares to the number that studied at postgraduate level in 2011/12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41932/12]

Student Grant Scheme Applications

James Bannon

199. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a student grant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41935/12]

School Completion Programme

Emmet Stagg

200. Deputy Emmet Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Skills the contract price for the building on the new national school in Ardclough, County Kildare. [41950/12]

Schools Building Projects Status

Brendan Smith

201. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a proposed building project for a school (details supplied) in County Cavan; if he proposes to restore this project to his School Building Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41997/12]

Teacher Fee Refund Scheme

Michael McCarthy

202. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the teacher fee refund scheme as it relates to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41998/12]

Irish Language Issues

Seán Kyne

203. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to rolling out free or subsidised courses in Irish, in the form of lifelong, continuing and or adult education, which would encourage citizens to improve their command of, or reconnect with, the Irish language, particularly as such an incentive would help achieve the stated objective of the 20 year strategy for the Irish Language of increasing the number of people who speak Irish on a daily basis from 83,000 to 250,000. [42070/12]

Public Sector Staff Issues

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

204. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list all the current positions, where the appointment was made by his Department held by retired senior civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42664/12]

Public Sector Pensions Expenditure

John Lyons

205. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide the number of former public servants recruited before the sixth of April 1995 who are currently receiving a public sector pension; if he will provide an age profile of those public servants; if he will provide, in a tabular form, the numbers of public sector pensioners in the following payment parameters; between €0 to €2,000; €2,001 to €3,000; €3,001 to €4,000; €4,001 to €5,000; €5,001 to €6,000; €6,001 to €7,000; €7,001 to €8,000; €8,001 to €9,000; €9,001 to €10,000; €10,001 to €11,000; €11,001 to €12,000; €12,001 to €13,000; €13,001 to €14,000; €14,001 to €15,000; €15,001 to €16,000; €16,001 to €17,000; €17,001 to €18,000; €18,001 to €19,000; €19,001 to €20,000; and more than €20,000. [41389/12]

Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme

Tom Fleming

206. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the Governments recently announced €2.25 billion capital investment programme; the number of jobs to be created; the timeframe for same; and the sources of the required €2.25 billion funding. [41702/12]

Public Sector Pensions Legislation

Derek Keating

207. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider making the compulsory payment of the spouses' and children's contributory pension scheme within the Civil Service a voluntary payment thereby reducing the deductions in civil servants’ salaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41908/12]

Public Sector Staff Issues

James Bannon

208. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding the re-employment of civil service staff who have taken a buy-out in receipt of pensions, which is contrary to fairness and equity, in view of the high unemployment level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41933/12]

Flood Prevention Measures

Jerry Buttimer

209. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on the assessment of catchments and streams and review of culverts in the Douglas area of County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41996/12]

Capital Programme Expenditure

Pearse Doherty

210. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an analysis of actual infrastructure and capital investment spending by Ministerial Vote Group for the year to date in 2012; and a forecast for the annual outturn for 2012 together with the annual budget for 2012. [41247/12]

Drainage Schemes Status

Tom Fleming

211. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will arrange for the Office of Public Works to investigate and examine the need for the dredging of part of the Cordal River adjacent to Cordal GAA grounds, County Kerry, in view of the fact that the playing area is affected when the river floods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41318/12]

Flood Prevention Measures

Billy Kelleher

212. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a detailed progress report on remedial works carried out to date in Glanmire, County Cork, following the flooding in June; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41321/12]

Flood Prevention Measures

Billy Kelleher

213. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when consultants and engineers will be put in place to carry out flood prevention measures at Glanmire, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41322/12]

Public Sector Pensions Expenditure

John Lyons

215. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide the number of former public servants recruited before the sixth of April 1995 who are currently receiving a public sector pension including both pensions funded by the Exchequer and through the Local Government Fund; if he will provide an age profile of those public servants; if he will provide, in a tabular form, the numbers of public sector pensioners in the following payment parameters; between €0 to €2,000; €2,001 to €3,000; €3,001 to €4,000; €4,001 to €5,000; €5,001 to €6,000; €6,001 to €7,000; €7,001 to €8,000; €8,001 to €9,000; €9,001 to €10,000; €10,001 to €11,000; €11,001 to €12,000; €12,001 to €13,000; €13,001 to €14,000; €14,001 to €15,000; €15,001 to €16,000; €16,001 to €17,000; €17,001 to €18,000; €18,001 to €19,000; €19,001 to €20,000; and more than €20,000. [41381/12]

Departmental Staff Allowances

Michael Creed

216. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will publish details of all allowances paid to staff in his Department; the business case made by his Department in respect of these allowances to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; the cost of each individual allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41418/12]

Departmental Properties

Kevin Humphreys

217. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if all the parking spaces at Dublin Castle are under the management of the Office of Public Works; the number of parking spaces provided for public servants in the various agencies of the State located there; the cost to staff of using these parking spaces; the number of parking spaces allocated specifically in the great courtyard and lower castleyard; if any consideration has been given to removing parking spaces from these two historic courtyards at Dublin Castle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41477/12]

Public Expenditure Statistics

Pearse Doherty

218. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form public spending both as a percentage of gross domestic product and in nominal terms by year from 1992 to 2011. [41519/12]

Public Sector Reform Review

Patrick O'Donovan

219. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 164 of 25 September 2012, if he will provide details of the days referred to in his reply that were referred to as historical based local leave arrangements such as for example festival and race days; if he will provide details of the days which were agreed to by his Department and the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41576/12]

Public Procurement Tenders

John McGuinness

220. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if circular 06/12 will be amended to allow for the purchase of goods and services at a local level provided that the cost of the service is equal to or better than the tender obtained and accepted by the National Procurement Service in order to give small and medium enterprises a real opportunity to sell goods and services to the State and in view of the fact that most SME's will be excluded from the tender process based on the turnover; if he will examine the tender documents for the supply of managed print services which requires a company turnover of €10m per annum and therefore excludes SME's, ref B1 but includes a clause 2.3 which would allow local purchases and thereby accommodate SME's; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41747/12]

Croke Park Agreement Savings

Michael Creed

221. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the savings to be pursued by him under the Croke Park Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41766/12]

Upward Only Rent Reviews

Bernard Durkan

222. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which tenants of State owned property have requested rent reviews that may be affected by upward only revision; the number of such cases if known; the extent to which it might be intended to address the issue in view of the on-going difficulties experiences by commercial or retailing sectors; if a particular ameliorating solution has been found in such instances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41851/12]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Brendan Griffin

223. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on a matter (details provided) regarding remuneration for qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41865/12]

Departmental Staff Recruitment

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

224. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will list all the current positions, where the appointment was made by his Department held by retired senior civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42670/12]

Action Plan for Jobs

Dara Calleary

225. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation his views on the way in which the jobs plan is creating jobs for the long term unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41823/12]

Action Plan for Jobs

Mattie McGrath

226. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the steps he has taken to reduce bureaucracy and red tape in an effort to protect and encourage employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42022/12]

Joint Labour Committees Agreements

Peadar Tóibín

227. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the number of workers employed, by sector, in contracts governed by Joint Labour Committee agreements. [41251/12]

IDA Jobs Data

John Halligan

228. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs and opportunities that have been created by the Industrial Development Agency for Waterford City and County within the past 18 months; the way these figures compare with job creation levels in cities and counties such as Limerick, Cork and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41347/12]

Public Sector Allowances Review

Michael Creed

229. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation if he will publish details of all allowances paid to staff in his Department; the business case made by his Department in respect of these allowances to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; the cost of each individual allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41416/12]

Departmental Schemes

Gerald Nash

230. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications received for the competitive start fund on a county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41445/12]

Departmental Properties

Catherine Murphy

231. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to the rent being paid, on a 65 year lease up to 2034, at a current cost of €1.18million per year by Forfás, for a building they do not occupy (details supplied) in Dublin 4; if he will estimate the total cost to the State of this property in view of the fact that it is subject to seven year upwards only rent reviews with no break options; if he will itemise all other properties being rented by the State without being occupied; if he will supply the terms of all such leases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41452/12]

IDA Expenditure

Pearse Doherty

232. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the total spend by the Industrial Development Agency on an annual basis from 1992 to 2011. [41527/12]

County and City Enterprise Boards Funding

Pearse Doherty

233. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide the total spend on county development boards on an annual basis from 1992 to 2007. [41528/12]

IDA Jobs Data

Simon Harris

234. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency supported projects that have been located in County Wicklow in the past three years; the number of jobs that these projects have generated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41562/12]

Mobile Telephone Chargers

Patrick Nulty

235. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide an update on progress made in ensuring that the mobile phone industry supplies chargers common to all mobile phone devices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41571/12]

European Council Meetings

Micheál Martin

236. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation his plans to discuss the EU 2020 strategy particularly in relation to job creation at the next EU Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34345/12]

Ministerial Responsibilities

Micheál Martin

237. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation if he will detail all groups on which he is represented which deal with science and technology issues; and if he is proposing to review same. [40270/12]