Parliamentary questions

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]