Parliamentary questions

Mortgage Debt

Brendan Griffin

82. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance if he will investigate the practice of the banking sector refusing to engage with lenders that find themselves in further difficulties after restructuring their loans; if the process of restructuring is reducing the cost to the borrower and taking into account future potential income difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24705/13]

Banking Sector Regulation

Andrew Doyle

83. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Finance if he has plans to consolidate the legislative basis for the Central Bank of Ireland and its operations; if officials from his Department have held discussions with the Central Bank in this regard; when he expects legislation to be brought forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24731/13]

Tax Reliefs Cost

Michael McGrath

84. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons to date that have availed of the special assignee relief programme; the number of employers whose employees have availed of the programme; the amount of tax foregone as a result of the tax relief granted; the number of employees who have had education fees paid by their employer on a tax free basis under the programme; his views on the number of jobs that may have been created under the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24738/13]

Tax Reliefs Cost

Michael McGrath

85. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons who have to date availed of the foreign earnings deduction; if he will provide details of the countries in which persons availing of the deduction have worked; the number of employers whose employees have availed of the deduction; the amount of tax foregone as a result of the tax relief granted; if he intends to add any further countries to the list of qualifying countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24739/13]

Mortgage Interest Relief Extension

Seán Kyne

86. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the much-welcome benefits of the mortgage tax-relief at source for persons who first purchased homes between 2004 and 2008 as introduced in Budget 2012 are being negated by the continued existence of the stipulation which caps and reduces the tax relief at source after seven years and if he will strongly consider, owing to the difficult financial circumstances of mortgage-holder who purchased in the aforementioned years, extending the applicability of the full mortgage tax relief rate beyond seven years until 2017 when mortgage relief is schedule to end. [24752/13]

VAT Rate Application

Seán Kyne

87. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given to the extension of the reduced VAT rate of 9%, which has had a significant positive effect on tourism industries, to coach passenger operators. [24753/13]

Illicit Trade in Tobacco

Billy Kelleher

88. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 200 of 14 May 2013, the way payments to be made were calculated; the quantity of smuggled tobacco the payments made under the MOU represent; if the payments represent tobacco that was leaked onto the Irish market or are they calculated by smuggled tobacco seized on a European-wide basis that is by the size of the Irish market as a proportion of the EU market; the tobacco companies that made payments to the Revenue Commissioners between 2008 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24765/13]

Economic Performance

Bernard Durkan

89. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance the extent to which the economic performance of all sectors has been monitored over the past five years to date; the extent to which specific areas have been identified for the need for improvement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24775/13]

Institutes of Technology

Mary Lou McDonald

90. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of the local employment clause contained within the DIT Grangegorman project contract. [24605/13]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Catherine Murphy

91. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the changes to be made by his Department in relation to the July provision scheme for families of autistic children; if he will clarify the position for families with more than one child needing access to the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24766/13]

Teachers' Remuneration

Jim Daly

92. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for a delay in issuing the proper qualification rate to a teacher (details supplied) in County Cork [24501/13]

Student Grant Scheme Appeals

Brendan Griffin

93. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the income figures from self employment from a persons father in a student grant application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24530/13]

Third Level Institutions Issues

Patrick O'Donovan

94. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of teaching days in 2012 in each of the third level institutions funded by the State; the number of teaching staff in each of those institutions; the number of privilege or personal days taken in each of those institutions in 2012; the minimum and maximum number of holidays given to teaching staff in these institutions in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24545/13]

Schools Building Contractors

Éamon Ó Cuív

95. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the name of the contractor awarded the building contract in a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24554/13]

Public Sector Staff Redeployment

Michael Healy-Rae

96. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding redeployment within vocational education committees (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24570/13]

Third Level Fees

Patrick Nulty

97. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 303 of 5 February 2013, if a matter raised in correspondence in respect of a student (details supplied) in Dublin 15 regarding their registration fees will be examined; if the student's concerns can be addressed in detail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24575/13]

Teachers' Remuneration

Denis Naughten

98. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 117 of 20 December 2012, the position regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24583/13]

Public Sector Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

99. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that a person who spent six years in college and received a masters degree, is being refused job positions in the public sector, due to the fact that they do not have their leaving certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24596/13]

Proposed Legislation

Mary Mitchell O'Connor

100. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the proposed Education (Admission to School) Bill 2013 proposes to enact legislation that will prevent Gaelscoileanna from having an admissions policy that gives priority to children being raised through Irish; if he considers that this legislation will have an adverse effect on the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24599/13]

Schools Review

Nicky McFadden

101. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding school building work and emergency accommodation works in 2013 in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24604/13]