Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

School Patronage

Joan Burton

141. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in the Government reaching its target of 400 non-denominational and multidenominational schools by 2030; the number of such schools to be opened in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16842/17]

Special Educational Needs Data

Joan Burton

142. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way under the new model for allocation of resource teaching hours in primary and secondary schools children who received diagnoses in the school year 2016-2017 will receive resource teaching hours from September 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16843/17]

Digital Strategy for Schools

Joan Burton

143. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of information technology grants his Department has paid to primary and secondary schools over the past 12 months; the details of the grants provided to schools, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16844/17]

Garda Vetting of Personnel

Joan Burton

144. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers employed prior to 2007 that have registered for retrospective Garda vetting under the terms of the National Vetting Act and Teaching Council Acts; the outstanding number of applications to be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16845/17]

School Staff

Joan Burton

145. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reform the model of leadership in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16846/17]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Joan Burton

146. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide primary and post-primary average class size figures for Ireland and for other EU member states; his plans to tackle large class size concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16847/17]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Joan Burton

147. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are remaining sections of the Teaching Council Act to be commenced; the timeframe for commencing such sections; and the number of fitness to teach complaints received and processed to date since he commenced these provisions in July 2016. [16848/17]

Student Support Schemes

Joan Burton

148. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the specific measures he plans to deal with concerns regarding third level student support and funding challenges for third level institutions. [16849/17]

Croke Park Agreement

Joan Burton

149. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether there is a clear pay disparity between teachers recruited before 1 January 2011 and those recruited thereafter; his further views on whether it is unacceptable to maintain such pay disparities; his plans to address pay equality issues beyond the steps already agreed on restoration of a qualification allowance payment; the cost of restoring teachers recruited since 1 January 2011 to the previous pay scale; the elements which make up this cost; and the number of teachers affected. [16850/17]

Teacher Data

Joan Burton

150. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to issue a directive on implementing pay deductions for members of teachers' unions that rejected working additional hours under the Croke Park agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16851/17]

Junior Cycle Reform

Joan Burton

151. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status on the roll-out of the junior cycle reform process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16852/17]

Skills Shortages

Joan Burton

152. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the areas that have been highlighted as having skills shortages by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (details supplied); his plans to tackle these skills shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16853/17]

Child Care Services Provision

Joan Burton

153. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the suggestions by an organisation (details supplied) that related capital investment will be necessary if the programme for Government commitment on having schools available for child care services can be successfully implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16854/17]

Education Policy

Joan Burton

154. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to progress the three areas (details supplied) in the education sector that he has identified as his core priority areas of focus in the sector; the reason he has prioritised these three areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16855/17]

DEIS Scheme

Joan Burton

155. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the stage at which the review of the school support programme through the DEIS initiative is at; when this review will be completed and published; if he envisages any changes to the funding or delivery model of the DEIS programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16856/17]

School Curriculum

Joan Burton

156. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide new courses in the leaving certificate, such as coding, physical education and politics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16857/17]

DEIS Scheme

Joan Burton

157. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the new national action plan for education inclusion will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16858/17]

School Staff

Joan Burton

158. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the moratorium on filling certain promoted posts in schools will be lifted, since it was introduced as an emergency measure in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16859/17]

Teachers' Professional Development

Joan Burton

159. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the ways, and total investment involved, in which his Department supports teacher continuous professional development at primary and post-primary levels; the percentage this is of education spending overall; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16860/17]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Joan Burton

160. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated timeframe for and cost of the Government programme commitment to reducing the pupil-teacher ratio in junior and senior infants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16862/17]

School Patronage

Joan Burton

161. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the location of all schools under religious patronage which he expects to be divested in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16863/17]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Joan Burton

162. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider further improvements in the pupil-teacher ratio to help reduce the class size towards EU average in budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16864/17]

Student Grant Scheme

Joan Burton

163. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the restoration of postgraduate grants and their necessity to open up access to postgraduate studies and to ensure that a steady stream of persons achieve a postgraduate qualification for societal good and to ensure attractiveness to foreign investors. [16865/17]

Teachers' Remuneration

Joan Burton

164. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for equating newly qualified teachers since 2011 and those that entered the workforce before; if he will report on discussions with an organisation (details supplied) on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16866/17]

Special Educational Needs

Joan Burton

165. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to improve access to special educational supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16867/17]

Irish Sign Language

Joan Burton

166. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to improve access to Irish Sign Language courses for students with hearing disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16868/17]

School Funding

Joan Burton

167. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria used by his Department for deciding on applications for capital funding for junior, senior and post-primary schools. [16869/17]

School Staff

Joan Burton

168. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to end the current ban on promotions at the primary school level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16870/17]

Legislative Programme

Joan Burton

169. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the Technological Universities Bill; when it is to return to Dáil Éireann, the necessary changes he proposes to make to the draft legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16871/17]

State Examinations

Joan Burton

170. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the reported failure rate at leaving certificate maths; the measures he proposes to remedy this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16872/17]

Institutes of Technology

Joan Burton

171. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the drop-out rate in third level institute of technology courses; the measures his Department proposes to remedy the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16873/17]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Joan Burton

172. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the lack of apprenticeships suitable for a number of employment vacancies such as chefs and in the hospitality sector generally, to upskill young unemployed workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16874/17]

Apprenticeship Data

Joan Burton

173. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the uptake in the number of apprenticeships by females; his plans to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16875/17]

Third Level Funding

Joan Burton

174. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has read the USI position paper on the funding of higher education regarding the effects a loan scheme would have on students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16876/17]

Teacher Recruitment

Joan Burton

175. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of substitute teachers for primary schools and the difficulties this is causing for school principals and managers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16877/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

181. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17000/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

182. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of staff deployed full time in his Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17016/17]

UK Referendum on EU Membership

Joan Burton

218. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17001/17]

UK Referendum on EU Membership

Joan Burton

219. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of staff deployed full-time in his Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17017/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

244. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17008/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

245. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of staff deployed full time in his Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17024/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

253. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17003/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

254. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff deployed full time in his Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17019/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

262. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17007/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

263. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of staff deployed full time in his Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17023/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

267. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in her Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16996/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

268. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of staff deployed full time in her Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17012/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

281. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17004/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

282. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health the number of staff deployed full time in his Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17020/17]

Brexit Issues

Joan Burton

304. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16995/17]