Written Answers Nos. 209-218
209. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised the case of an artist (details supplied) who has been sentenced to over 12 years in prison as a result of artwork and activism, with the Iranian authorities; his plans on doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25221/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department raised a number of human rights issues with the Iranian authorities in January 2015, during political consultations with the visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Takht-Ravanchi. These included the issue of freedom of expression in Iran.I raised human rights issues myself during my meeting with the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mr. Larijani, on 16 June, focusing on that occasion on the issues of the death penalty and the treatment of minorities. I had not at that point become aware of the case mentioned by the Deputy. As I have made clear in response to previous questions, my Department cannot attempt to follow and make representations on every human rights case that is brought to our attention around the world. For this reason, much of our action on human rights is conducted through the EU, or focused on the overall principle rather than specific cases. I agree, nonetheless, that this case is a matter of concern, and I will ensure that those concerns are conveyed to the Iranian authorities at an early appropriate opportunity.
210. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 213 of 21 April 2015 and in view of the ongoing monitoring of the situation in Sri Lanka by the Irish Embassy in New Dehli, India, if he will report on any visits by Irish officials to Sri Lanka, or discussions with Sri Lankan officials, since that question; and the observations of the embassy's recent monitoring of the situation in Sri Lanka. [25222/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere have been no visits by officials from our Embassy in New Delhi to Sri Lanka since the Parliamentary Question No. 213 of 21 April 2015. Our Ambassador accredited to Sri Lanka has however discussed developments in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in New Delhi.
The EU recently issued a call to Member States to nominate observers - 18 Long Term Observers and 26 Short Term Observers in total – to take part in a planned electoral observation mission of the next Parliamentary Elections in Sri Lanka. Ireland intends to nominate for consideration observers to take part in this mission.
211. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on relations with Turkmenistan; and his views on the human rights situation in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25223/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland has diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan on a non-resident basis through our Embassy in Moscow. On Monday, I participated in the Foreign Affairs Council meeting which adopted conclusions on the EU’s Strategy for Central Asia. I welcome this Strategy under which, among other things, the EU will “further enhance its efforts to address the serious challenges to human rights in the region, including by maintaining and deepening the human rights dialogues with the five countries, and by continuing to provide extensive support for reforms”.
Ireland supports the EU’s Human Rights Dialogue with Turkmenistan. During the most recent meeting in this dialogue, on 17 June in Ashgabat, the EU reiterated its serious concerns about the human rights situation in Turkmenistan, including about the reported use of torture. The EU urged the Turkmen Government to release information on the status and location of prisoners who have disappeared in detention. The EU also urged Turkmenistan to ease restrictions on Internet access. Excessive restrictions on civil society and interference with the right to freedom of religion or belief were also raised by the EU.
During this dialogue, the EU welcomed certain positive developments in Turkmenistan, including the plan to create an Ombudsman institution in the context of a broader constitutional reform process. The EU acknowledged the release of a number of religious detainees in 2014 and the most recent presidential pardon (in May 2015). The EU encouraged Turkmenistan to use future pardons to release imprisoned political activists, human rights defenders and members of peaceful religious groups.
The next human rights dialogue between the EU and Turkmenistan will take place in Brussels in 2016. The EU has expressed its willingness to support credible reforms undertaken by the Turkmenistan Government.
In April 2013, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Ireland participated in the most recent UN Universal Periodic Review of Turkmenistan. Ireland made two recommendations, both accepted by Turkmenistan: that the Turkmen Government reforms the Law on Public Associations to bring it in line with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that the Government permits visits from all 10 UN special procedures who have requested a visit.
Earlier this month, human rights issues were also raised by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, during his visit to Turkmenistan. The Secretary General welcomed Turkmenistan’s commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and encouraged the Government to address concerns regarding the detention of prisoners. The Secretary General also urged the Government to move towards media pluralism, freedom of expression and access to information, including through social media. The Secretary General encouraged the Government to extend standing invitations to all thematic special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council to further advance the dialogue on human rights concerns.
212. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Government will be officially commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina in July 2015, particularly in view of the resolution adopted in January 2009 by the European Parliament calling on all European Union member states to remember this horrific event; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25365/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe appalling events at Srebrenica in 1995 have been recognised as genocide by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. This has been widely accepted by the international community. Ireland has, in the past, joined with our EU partners to condemn any attempts to minimise or deny the genocide which took place at Srebrenica. As we approach the 20th anniversary of this terrible atrocity, we remember the 8,000 victims there, and they will be commemorated at solemn ceremonies on 11 July. The principal commemoration will take place in Srebrenica, and Ireland will be represented along with other members of the international community who will gather together in a spirit of remembrance and reconciliation.
The European Union was founded on the principles of peace and justice, and Ireland remains committed to supporting a peaceful, secure and prosperous future for the people of Bosnian and Herzegovina and the wider region. We continue to encourage them on their European path, and to help them overcome the legacy of recent conflicts.
213. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's strategy for rolling out Síolta and Aistear; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25193/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department, in conjunction with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, recently launched a new Aistear / Síolta Practice Guide.
This Practice Guide distils the key principles of Aistear, the national early childhood curriculum framework, and Síolta, the national quality framework for early years services. It is intended to be a practical guide for childcare practitioners on how to implement the two frameworks in their practice. To this end it includes a number of podcasts and examples of children's learning and development that will illustrate how the key principles of Aistear and Síolta can be transferred into any early years setting.
The new Practice Guide will be a resource for all early years practitioners who wish to improve the quality of their practice across the early years sector. It will also serve to assist the new Better Start team, that have been established by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, in their work in strengthening quality in early years services.
Phase 1 of the Practice Guide was made available on-line via the NCCA website http://www.ncca.ie/en/Practice-Guide in March 2015. The second – and final phase – of the Practice Guide will be made available during the summer.
214. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason services (details supplied) at Saint Michael's House are being cut; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25401/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. This Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible, home based provision may be grant aided.
I wish to clarify for the Deputy there has been no cut to funding for the July Provision Scheme. I cannot comment on the availability of respite supports for families of children with special educational needs which are a matter for the Health Service Executive.
The Department of Education and Skills invites all schools catering for children in these disability categories to participate each year. However it is a matter for the Board of Management of each school to determine if they wish to participate.
As the school referred to by the Deputy is not participating in the school based programme, home based provision has been approved for the pupil concerned for the month of July. However as the proposed tuition dates outlined in the correspondence provided by the Deputy conflict with the sanction period, my officials will contact the parent directly to clarify the parameters of the July Programme Scheme in this regard.
215. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is appropriate European Union funding available for an Irish undergraduate student seeking financial aid for maintenance and accommodation costs, in order to accept a place on an undergraduate course in on-call children's therapy in Bournemouth in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25439/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra228. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is appropriate funding available through her Department for an undergraduate Irish student seeking financial aid for maintenance and accommodation costs in order to accept a place on an undergraduate course in on-call children's therapy in Bournemouth in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25321/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take questions 215 and 228 together.
Under the terms of the student grant scheme, my Department provides maintenance grants to undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses in the State or in other E.U. Member States. Applicants are required to meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means.
Students who are attending undergraduate courses in an EU Member State can apply for a maintenance grant in respect of an approved course which is being pursued in an approved institution. The student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside of Ireland.
Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie.
216. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department uses any system software for the auto deletion of e-mail messages; if so, her Department's guidelines on the use of such a system; and the length of time e-mails are stored before they are auto deleted. [25178/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not use any software to automatically delete email messages.
217. Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in south Dublin that have an autism unit; the number in north Dublin that have an autism unit; the schools in the Dublin 6W area that currently have an autism unit; the options open to parents when they cannot secure a place for their child in an autism unit in a local school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25202/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.
SENOs engage with schools annually in order to plan for, and to open, new special classes each year, in order to ensure there are sufficient special class placements available at primary and post primary school level to meet demand in a given area.
All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents are encouraged to liaise with the local SENO to discuss placement options for their child.
The NCSE will continue to monitor and review the requirement for special class places in particular areas and has capacity to open such new special classes where necessary.
Details of all of the special classes for children with special educational needs which are attached to mainstream schools are published each year on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie.
The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism, should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available.Parents can choose to enrol children with autism in an early intervention class from the age of three and where such a placement is not available home tuition is approved. Children with autism over the age of four may also be eligible for home tuition if a school placement is not available for them.
I have arranged for the Deputy's request for specific detail on provision in the areas referred to, to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
218. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the next five-year plan on new school building projects will be announced. [25237/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that I expect to be in a position to announce a successor construction programme later this year. As part of the preparatory process for the programme, a major detailed demographic analysis is currently underway in my Department to identify the particular areas across the country where additional new schools and extensions will be required to meet additional demographic demand.
