Parliamentary questions

Mortgage Arrears Proposals

Micheál Martin

227. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding his recent comments (details supplied) on the way the banks are dealing with the mortgage crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2186/14]

Eurozone Issues

Micheál Martin

228. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Finance his views on the comments made by the former governor of the ECB, Mr. Jean-Claude Trichet, in Strasbourg on Tuesday, 15 January in relation to the European economic crisis and other issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3535/14]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Micheál Martin

229. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Finance the progress being made on the international talks on double taxation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4834/14]

Fiscal Policy

Micheál Martin

230. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the fiscal council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7475/14]

Banking Sector

Michael McGrath

231. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the costs incurred in respect of the recent balance sheet assessments of the Irish banks; the person who paid for the assessments; if the assessments will have to be done in full again as part of the EU-wide stress tests later in the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8279/14]

Tax Code

Michael McGrath

232. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance in relation to the abolition of the one-parent family tax credit and its replacement with the single person child carer credit in the recent Finance Act, if his Department sought advice as to whether or not the change was discriminatory and breached any other legislation on the Statute Book; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8280/14]

IBRC Loans

Michael McGrath

233. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money owed to Irish Bank Resolution Corporation by commercial clients which has to date been written off by virtue of agreements reached during the sale of the loans or individual agreements reached with debtors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8285/14]

Banking Sector

Michael McGrath

234. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he or his officials have had any discussions recently with the UK authorities regarding the future of the Ulster Bank operations here in advance of the publication by its parent company Royal Bank of Scotland of its global review of operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8286/14]

Mortgage Arrears Proposals

Michael McGrath

235. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if the Central Bank has contacted his Department expressing concern that some mortgage holders may lose the protections of certain statutory codes including the code of conduct on mortgage arrears if their mortgage is sold to an entity not regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland; his views on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8287/14]

Mortgage Arrears Proposals

Michael McGrath

236. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance based on the latest information available to his Department, if he will confirm, for each bank separately, the number of split mortgage arrangements currently in place between banks and mortgage holders; the total amount of mortgage debt that has been warehoused under the arrangement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8288/14]

IBRC Mortgage Loan Book

Michael McGrath

237. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance in respect of the mortgage book of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation which is in special liquidation, if he will confirm the date the mortgage book was put on the market by the special liquidators; if he will provide the details of the way the mortgage book was divided for the purposes of the sale; the overall value of the mortgage book; the deadline by which bids for the mortgage book had to be submitted; the current status of the sales process; if any problems have been identified with the supporting documentation underpinning the loans; when a decision on any sale will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8290/14]

Banking Sector Staff

Michael McGrath

238. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance his Department’s estimate of the number of jobs lost in the banking sector here in the past two to three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8291/14]

State Bodies

Shane Ross

239. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Finance as far as he is aware if any official bodies under the aegis of his Department subscribes to the daily inflation data for Ireland collected by a company (details supplied); if so, the cost of this service; if the data will be made available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8698/14]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Brendan Griffin

240. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views regarding the declining standard of education being provided to Irish children in the small schools that are losing teachers under the budget 2012 changes to threshold requirements for teacher allocation; if he will reverse these changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7805/14]

SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Data

Willie O'Dea

241. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons engaged in SOLAS courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7822/14]

Pension Provisions

Patrick O'Donovan

242. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the implications for the pension entitlement of a permanent primary teacher who would resign a position to take up a temporary position in another part of the country in the hope of being made permanent at that location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8030/14]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Colm Keaveney

243. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions that are being made to provide a special needs assistant for a child (details supplied) in Dublin 11 who is due to start primary school in September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7511/14]

Home Tuition Scheme Provision

John McGuinness

244. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a home tuition grant will continue to be paid in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [7548/14]

Schools Building Projects Expenditure

John Halligan

245. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of 2013 building projects that have been completed; if any of these projects were completed under budget; if he will consider making any of the unspent funds available to schools with delayed projects such as a school (details supplied) which is waiting to be added to a buildings programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7557/14]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

John McGuinness

246. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a Student Universal Support Ireland grant will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [7563/14]

Student Grant Scheme Appeals

Tom Fleming

247. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to previous parliamentary questions, if he will now re-examine a student grant appeal and issue a 100% non-adjacent rate, 100% maintenance grant and 100% fees and student contribution, as previously confirmed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7585/14]

Teacher Training Places

Michael McCarthy

248. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties of trainee teachers in their attempts to gain probationary teaching hours; if he will put in place a strategy to address this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7602/14]

Teacher Secondment

John O'Mahony

249. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding primary school teachers who have been seconded to the special education support service and have now been informed that they will return to their schools in September 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7603/14]

Teacher Secondment

John O'Mahony

250. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills the rationale for sending teachers (details supplied), many of whom have gained extra skills and experience, back to the classroom in September 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7605/14]

Departmental Staff Career Breaks

Barry Cowen

251. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form, the number of staff in his Department currently on a sabbatical or career break, broken down by 0 to six months, six to 12 months, one year to two years, two to three years, four to five years and five years plus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7626/14]

Departmental Staff Sick Leave

Barry Cowen

252. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form, the total number of uncertified sick days taken by employees in his Department and the average uncertified sick days per employee taken; the total certified sick days taken by employees; the average certified sick days per employee; the total sick days taken by employees; the average total sick days and median overall sick days per employee in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. [7642/14]

Teacher Secondment

John O'Mahony

253. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills the person who will provide continuous professional development for teachers in the area of special educational needs as those who currently do so have been informed they will be returning to classroom teaching in September 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7684/14]

Special Education Review

Andrew Doyle

254. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the review of the visiting teacher services; if any of the parents of the affected children are being consulted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7707/14]

School Staffing

Brendan Griffin

255. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an English as an additional language post for a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7733/14]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Charlie McConalogue

256. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the length of time a special needs child, who is in a special class in a mainstream school, can stay in a post primary school if they have reached 18 years of age (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7739/14]

Value for Money Reviews

Brendan Griffin

257. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for not publishing the value for money report on two-teacher schools; the persons who carried out the report; the cost of same; when he received the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7755/14]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Brendan Griffin

258. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of each pupil-teacher ratio reduction by one in the primary and secondary sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7768/14]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Finian McGrath

259. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a student grant in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [7817/14]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Barry Cowen

260. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath may expect a decision on their application for summer works programme. [7853/14]

School Accommodation

Barry Cowen

261. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on their application for additional accommodation. [7854/14]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Barry Cowen

262. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on its application for summer works programme. [7855/14]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Barry Cowen

263. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on its application for summer works programme. [7856/14]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Barry Cowen

264. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on its application for summer works programme. [7857/14]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Barry Cowen

265. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on its application for summer works programme. [7858/14]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Barry Cowen

266. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on its application for additional accommodation. [7859/14]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Barry Cowen

267. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on its application for summer works programme. [7860/14]

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Barry Cowen

268. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on its application for summer works programme. [7861/14]

Bullying of Children

Jonathan O'Brien

269. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the Net Children Go Mobile study on children’s use of the Internet in Ireland, recent research which found that 22% of children have experienced bullying online; and his plans to address this matter within the school system. [7862/14]

Security Checks

Noel Harrington

270. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Education and Skills if any of his departmental or ministerial offices have been swept for electronic, or any other type of, surveillance or bugging equipment since coming to office in March 2011; the reasons for this check; the results of this check; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7891/14]

School Accommodation

Michael McCarthy

271. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action being taken to replace the prefab classrooms at a school (details supplied) in County Cork with permanent accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7915/14]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Jack Wall

272. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) will qualify for a student grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7922/14]

School Textbooks Rental Scheme

Helen McEntee

273. Deputy Helen McEntee asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Meath will be included in the book rental scheme grant, in view of the fact that the parents and the school provided funding for a book rental scheme which has impacted greatly on the schools financial resources; if he will reconsider this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7932/14]

Departmental Bodies Establishment

Seán Fleming

274. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list any new organisations or agencies established in his Department since 9 March 2011; the role and functions and the annual operating budget for these organisations and agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7942/14]

Parent and Student Charter

Ciara Conway

275. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the proposed creation of a parent and student charter; when the discussion paper that is being prepared on the matter will be published; when he expects the charter to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7958/14]

Summer Works Scheme Administration

Robert Dowds

276. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding will be available to schools for summer works programmes in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7962/14]