Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Defence Forces Reorganisation

Jonathan O'Brien

14. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Defence the resources he has provided for the re-skilling of members of the Defence Forces and if he will demonstrate that they are adequate at this time. [48461/12]

Defence Forces Reorganisation

Jonathan O'Brien

20. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Defence in the context of the reorganisation of the Defence Forces, the criteria for relocating a member of the Defence Forces from one post to another. [48460/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

77. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the General Teachers’ Council of Ireland does not automatically recognise universities in the Six Counties as offering approved teacher training courses including colleges such as St. Mary's University College, Belfast, which are globally recognised for their standards of excellence in teacher training. [48835/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

78. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the paperwork the General Teachers’ Council of Ireland require when assessing degree holders who hold a B.Ed (Hons), from a teaching college in the North and who are applying to be registered teachers in the 26 Counties. [48836/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

79. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the co operation that exists between the General Teachers’ Council of Ireland and the General Teachers’ Council, Northern Ireland and if there are set protocols in place to deal with applications for teachers attempting to register in either jurisdiction. [48837/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

80. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that the cost of assessment of qualifications with the General Teachers’ Council of Ireland for a teacher registering from the North is €290; his views on whether is this an excessive amount to be paid by Irish nationals who have attended an Irish University in the Six Counties. [48838/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

81. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the general Teachers’ Council of Ireland view qualifications obtained from St. Mary's Teaching College, Belfast of adequate standard to qualify for teaching in the 26 counties. [48839/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

82. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the procedures the General Teachers’ Council of Ireland implement when checking a teaching applicant from the North of Ireland; if they communicate directly with their counterparts in the North to ascertain their qualifications, experience and references; the average turnaround for processing such applications and the efforts that are being made to ensure enhanced cooperation between the GTCI and the General Teachers Council of Northern Ireland. [48840/12]

School Meals Programme

Jonathan O'Brien

99. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the number of schools accessing support through the school meals programme. [48882/12]

School Meals Programme

Jonathan O'Brien

100. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the number of children receiving their school meals through the school meals programme. [48883/12]

School Meals Programme

Jonathan O'Brien

101. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the schools that have successfully applied for inclusion under the school meals' programme; and the number of schools that were refused inclusion in the school meals' programme. [48884/12]

School Meals Programme

Jonathan O'Brien

102. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection the annual Departmental spend on the 2011/2012 school meals programme. [48885/12]

Energy Conservation

Jonathan O'Brien

282. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to require all schools in receipt of capitation funding to implement targeted energy efficiency programmes to cut wasteful usage of lighting, heating and electronic equipment in view of the fact that existing voluntary and piecemeal projects show the potential to save 15-40% of schools energy costs within two years at most, using models and guidance provided by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland but unknown to most schools; his views on whether such energy efficiencies could save up to €15 million a year of the €200 million cost of capitation funding, thereby reducing cuts to vital educational services by the same sum and thus make cuts that do not hurt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47303/12]

Teacher Recruitment

Jonathan O'Brien

315. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form, the numbers of newly qualified teachers who have secured a full-time appointment on or after the 1 January 2011 and who are in receipt of a reduced salary scale and allowances. [47747/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

345. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of teachers working in the education system who hold a BCBA or BCaBA qualification. [48167/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

346. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of persons employed on the SESS Advisors Behaviour Team and the number of those advisors who hold a BCBA qualification. [48168/12]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

347. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he confirm that his officials received a submission from a person (details supplied) detailing a peer-reviewed academic study from Howard et al (2005) which demonstrated that for some children with autism, ABA has proven to be more effective than the implementation of an eclectic intervention. [48169/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

24. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding those children awaiting placement in high support or special care unit residential places; the steps she is taking to provide additional places so that waiting lists are a thing of the past or at least rare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46755/12]

Student Visas Reform

Jonathan O'Brien

8. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made in achieving the goal, as set out in the Programme for Government, to overhaul the student visa system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43109/12]

Inspector of Prisons Reports

Jonathan O'Brien

30. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality following the report by the Prisons Inspector, Judge Michael Reilly, on practices by some staff at St Patrick's Institution, Dublin, the interim measures he will put in place to protect their rights and enable appropriate rehabilitation. [46412/12]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

77. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the current turnaround times for vacant local authority homes and the average number vacant at any given time over the past 12 months. [46196/12]

Local Government Reform

Jonathan O'Brien

98. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the delegation of powers to local authorites in areas of environment, water, foreshore, local or community development, roads or traffic, housing and energy efficiency (details supplied) that will take place; the way this delegation will take place; and when it will take place. [46074/12]

Services for People with Disabilities

Jonathan O'Brien

237. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to training in Middletown centre for Autisum Spectrum Disorder, if he will provide a breakdown of the number of people participating in each of the training topics provided by Middletown; the number of classroom hours of training in each topic per person trained; the details of the correspondence with the professional bodies who approved the training in each topic to ensure that international standards of best practice in the respective topics are met. [46101/12]

Services for People with Disabilities

Jonathan O'Brien

238. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder who have attended Middletown and the length of time those children attended. [46102/12]

Services for People with Disabilities

Jonathan O'Brien

239. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder that have been directly treated by staff employed by Middletown; the numbers of hours per child treated at the centre and through outreach by staff employed at Middletown. [46103/12]

Services for People with Disabilities

Jonathan O'Brien

240. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will define the term affected as used by Middletown in relation to its affect on over 400 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder; the way the affect on children attending Middletown is measured; and if he will provide a definition of the term trained as used in the Middletown Inspection Report. [46104/12]

Services for People with Disabilities

Jonathan O'Brien

241. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that the most common duration of course delivery for the 3,000 persons trained at Middletown is two hours. [46105/12]

Services for People with Disabilities

Jonathan O'Brien

242. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of independent reviews of the effectiveness of courses in Middletown in terms of their delivery of training and value for money and to provide a breakdown of the amounts paid to fund individual courses. [46106/12]

Teaching Qualifications

Jonathan O'Brien

243. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether short courses in a specialised discipline such as behaviour analysis, that are provided for continuous professional development for teachers does not equate to an approved qualification in that specialised discipline, especially when international standards of training exist for that specialised discipline for example the Behaviour Analysis Certification Board: www.bacb.com. [46107/12]

EU Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

39. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department have made any applications for Ten-T funding; and if so, for which projects. [45140/12]

Tourism Industry Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

50. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport having regard to the reduced detail and frequency with which tourism statistics are published by the Central Statistics Office, if his attention has been drawn to the importance of reliable and frequent data for policy purposes and also for the various agencies with regard to operational management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45123/12]

Human Rights Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

2. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the continued human rights violations in Bahrain, particularly against medics; and the formal steps that he has taken to inform the Bahraini Government of its views in relation to these human rights violations. [45096/12]

VAT Exemptions

Jonathan O'Brien

81. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown of the cost to the Exchequer should primary and post primary schools that qualify for the capitation grant be made exempt from value added tax when paying for service utility and service charges. [44968/12]

VAT Exemptions

Jonathan O'Brien

82. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown of the cost to the Exchequer should primary and post primary schools that implement the DEIS’s recognised curriculum be made exempt from value added tax when paying for service utility and service charges. [44969/12]

VAT Exemptions

Jonathan O'Brien

83. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown of the cost to the Exchequer should primary and post primary schools be made exempt from value added tax when paying for school text books. [44970/12]

VAT Exemptions

Jonathan O'Brien

84. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown of the cost to the Exchequer should the 3,305 primary schools and 4,034 second level schools aided by the DEIS be made exempt from value added tax when paying for service utility and service charges. [44971/12]

VAT Exemptions

Jonathan O'Brien

85. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if there are EU regulations that prohibit the introduction of amendments to existing legislation that would exempt primary and secondary schools from paying VAT. [44972/12]

VAT Exemptions

Jonathan O'Brien

86. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown of the cost to the Exchequer should DEIS band one and two schools be made exempt from value added tax when paying for service utility and service charges. [44973/12]

Higher Education Institutions Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

105. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the DEIS has considered increasing the minimum number of teaching hours for lecturers employed in third level institutions from 16 to 18 and the projected savings that could be made to the third level budget from this change. [44975/12]

VAT Payments

Jonathan O'Brien

106. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of the total annual amount of VAT paid by primary and post primary schools in the 2011/2012 academic year. [44976/12]

Capitation Grants

Jonathan O'Brien

107. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on implementing variable school capitation rates which reflect the annual maintenance and running costs of schools. [44977/12]

Higher Education Institutions Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

108. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the DEIS examined the benefits of introducing a third semester for third level institutions that would increase the teaching cycle from 24 weeks to 36 weeks a year and his further views that this would provide a much better training cycle for students and a possible 50% productivity increase with four-year degrees being completed in less than three years. [44978/12]

Higher Education Institutions Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

109. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to introducing a more robust and transparent system of performance evaluation for third level lecturers that focuses on evidence of changes made in teaching practice and the establishment of specific teaching standards to be reached. [44979/12]

Third Level Staff Deployment

Jonathan O'Brien

110. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider implementing a review of the type of research output by third level lecturers; if he will consider introducing changes to the existing legislation that would mean that university staff would teach a set number of hours, unless they have a full-time research schedule, which is signed off by a high level in-house committee. [44980/12]

Fee Paying Schools

Jonathan O'Brien

111. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the savings that would be accrued from ending State subsidies to Catholic fee paying schools. [44981/12]

Water Charges Introduction

Jonathan O'Brien

201. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered exempting primary and post primary schools from paying water charges. [44982/12]

Water Charges Introduction

Jonathan O'Brien

202. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered reducing the cost of water charges to primary and post-primary schools. [44983/12]

Health Services Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

290. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of works paid for by the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Brothers of Charity Southern Services between 2009 and to date in 2012 [45153/12]

Public Sector Pensions Expenditure

Jonathan O'Brien

35. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if any currently serving secretaries general retain TLAC terms with regards to their pension provisions; if he will provide a list of those secretaries general; if he will provide the total expected cost to the Exchequer of the pension pots to be paid out to the former on their retirement broken down by annual pension payment for each, lump sum payment on retirement and the additional special severance payment of half a year’s salary. [43488/12]

Teachers' Remuneration

Jonathan O'Brien

38. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way he intends to deal with the pay gap that has emerged between new entrant teachers and those appointed prior to his decision to withdraw all allowances. [43489/12]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Jonathan O'Brien

48. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to implement proposals to assess capital assets and income when means testing student grants in the 2013-2014 academic year; if he will confirm the publication date of the findings of the Higher Educational Authority National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030. [43233/12]

Residential Institutions Redress Scheme

Jonathan O'Brien

74. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he is taking to address the continuing refusal of the religious congregations to meet their share of the costs of the compensation bill for victims of institutional residential abuse; and if he will provide an update on the establishment of the fund. [43090/12]

Third Level Fees

Jonathan O'Brien

104. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the impact of increases in the student contribution fee to be implemented from 2013-2015; and if they are sustainable for low income families who are marginally above the grant threshold. [43091/12]

Tax Code

Jonathan O'Brien

138. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if schools have experienced difficulties resulting from the directive of the Revenue Commissioners to regard school boards of management as principal contractors in respect of Relevant Contracts Tax and VAT, with effect from 1 January 2012; his views on the challenges that school boards are experiencing in complying with the very significant administrative burden arising from operating Relevant Contracts Tax. [43105/12]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Jonathan O'Brien

194. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the Teaching Council, a self-funded agency responsible for the professional development of teachers, is being prevented from hiring an additional 16 staff out of its own funds because it is subject to the public sector recruitment embargo; and his views on whether employing these additional staff would help reduce the backlog in Garda vetting procedures and assessing foreign qualifications. [43234/12]

Departmental Staff Data

Jonathan O'Brien

237. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current staffing details of the Inspectorate including the numbers of inspectors at each grade in each business area. [43289/12]

Departmental Staff Data

Jonathan O'Brien

238. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools inspectors who retired in each of the past five years. [43290/12]

Departmental Staff Data

Jonathan O'Brien

239. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools inspectors recruited in each of the past five years. [43291/12]

Psychological Services

Jonathan O'Brien

240. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current staffing details of the National Educational Psychological Service including the numbers of psychologists at each grade in each business area of the country. [43292/12]

Psychological Services

Jonathan O'Brien

241. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service who retired in each of the past five years. [43293/12]

Psychological Services

Jonathan O'Brien

242. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service recruited in each of the past five years. [43294/12]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

243. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the numbers of special education needs organisers in each county. [43295/12]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

244. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special education needs organisers who retired in each of the past five years. [43296/12]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

245. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special education needs organisers recruited in each of the past five years. [43297/12]

Teacher Statistics

Jonathan O'Brien

246. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary teachers who began probation during the last academic year. [43301/12]

Teacher Statistics

Jonathan O'Brien

247. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary teachers who successfully completed the probationary process during the past academic year. [43302/12]

Teacher Statistics

Jonathan O'Brien

248. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary teachers who have thus far applied to undertake the probationary process in this academic year. [43303/12]

Pupil Data Collection

Jonathan O'Brien

249. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce a database of primary school pupils. [43304/12]

School Accommodation

Jonathan O'Brien

250. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details on a county basis of rented school accommodation at primary level including the date of installation and annual rent for each school in the country. [43305/12]

School Accommodation

Jonathan O'Brien

251. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details on a county basis of rented school accommodation at post primary level including the date of installation and annual rent for each school in the country. [43306/12]

Schools Administration

Jonathan O'Brien

252. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of any work being progressed by his Department to improve its systems in order to facilitate access to accurate and up-to-date information on individual schools, both to ensure more efficient use of official time and to reduce the administrative burden on schools. [43307/12]

Schools Building Projects Applications

Jonathan O'Brien

253. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has taken any decisions on project progression in the school building programme that did not accord with recommendations made to him by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43308/12]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

254. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers who qualified as primary teachers in the Six Counties who were appointed to temporary positions in primary schools in each of the past ten years. [43309/12]

School Staffing

Jonathan O'Brien

255. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers who qualified as primary teachers in the Six Counties who were appointed to permanent positions in primary schools in each of the past ten years. [43310/12]

Teacher Training Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

256. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary teachers who trained in another jurisdiction that undertook the SCG/OCG during the last academic year. [43311/12]

Teacher Training Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

257. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary teachers who trained in another jurisdiction who passed the SCG/OCG during the last academic year. [43312/12]

School Textbooks

Jonathan O'Brien

258. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to examine the free books scheme for necessitous pupils in primary schools scheme in view of the fact that funding to schools did not increase this year. [43313/12]

School Enrolments

Jonathan O'Brien

259. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of Section 29 Appeals undertaken in each of the past five years including the outcomes of those appeals. [43314/12]

School Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

260. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total amount of funding from the capital budget expended on the provision of emergency funding to primary schools in each of the past five years; and the number of schools that received this funding. [43315/12]

Legislative Programme

Jonathan O'Brien

462. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to review the Enduring Powers of Attorney Act 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42923/12]

Education Welfare Service Staff

Jonathan O'Brien

544. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of education welfare officers who retired in each of the past five years. [43298/12]

Education Welfare Service Staff

Jonathan O'Brien

545. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of education welfare officers recruited in each of the past five years. [43299/12]

Education Welfare Service Staff

Jonathan O'Brien

546. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of education welfare officers in each county. [43300/12]

Mortgage Arrears Report Implementation

Jonathan O'Brien

26. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance the recommendations contained in the Keane Report that have been implemented by his Department and the actions taken on each of these recommendations. [42271/12]

Budget 2013

Jonathan O'Brien

59. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance the plans, if any, he has to equality proof each of the various options being considered for Budget 2013; the plans the Government has to prepare and publish a distributional analysis of each of the various options being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42272/12]

Heritage Council Funding

Jonathan O'Brien

9. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to extend the school heritage scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42024/12]

Caiteachas Ranna

Jonathan O'Brien

40. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Jonathan O'Brien den Aire Ealaíon; Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta na ciorruithe atá déanta ag a Roinn ó thús na bliana. [41979/12]

Exports Data

Jonathan O'Brien

72. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide the increase in the number of people employed in exporting companies; and his plans to increase the number of existing business that have an export potential. [41620/12]

Trade Missions Numbers

Jonathan O'Brien

80. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the number of trade missions he plans to attend in 2013. [41619/12]

Higher Education Courses Applications

Jonathan O'Brien

151. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of foreign students that Educate Ireland has attracted to third level institutions here in the 2011/12 academic year. [41360/12]

Teaching Contracts

Jonathan O'Brien

152. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of contractual teaching hours fulfilled in third level institutions in the academic year 2011/12. [41361/12]

Consultancy Contracts Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

153. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of consultancy and technical services outsourced to universities here from Government Departments in 2011/12. [41362/12]

Medical Card Drugs

Jonathan O'Brien

17. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will reverse the decision to cease the provision of gluten-free products on prescription for medical card patients with coeliac disease or if he will provide equivalent alternative supports or measures for coeliac patients, in view of the excessive cost of gluten-free products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40989/12]

Primary Care Centres Provision

Jonathan O'Brien

23. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will report the progress made, if any, on the proposed development of a primary care centre at Togher, Cork City; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40990/12]

Ombudsman for Children Remit

Jonathan O'Brien

13. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline her views on expanding the role of the Ombudsman for Children as per the recommendations of the Ombudsman contained in her report of March, 2012. [40714/12]

Child Protection Issues

Jonathan O'Brien

39. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will publish the independent external assessment of the two out-of-hours pilot projects providing emergency social care services in counties Donegal and Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40715/12]

Drugs Crime

Jonathan O'Brien

208. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health his plans to reinstate the dial to stop drug dealing campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29753/12]

Redundancy Payments

Jonathan O'Brien

182. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation his plans to review company law in order to oblige insolvent companies which declare themselves unable to meet their financial obligations to their employees to enter liquidation before employees are forced to apply to the redundancy fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40400/12]

Redundancy Payments

Jonathan O'Brien

183. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation his plans to empower the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Relations Commission, in cases when companies declare themselves unable to pay wages and redundancy owed to employees, to compel the directors to attend hearings and the reason they have not met their employees terms and conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40401/12]

Defence Forces Medicinal Products

Jonathan O'Brien

26. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Defence the number of legal proceedings that have been initiated against his Department concerning the prescription of Lariam to members or former members of the Defence Forces. [39496/12]