Parliamentary questions

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]