170. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of non-Gaelscoileanna schools that offer access to Irish language partial immersion programmes, where 50% of subjects are taught through the Irish language; and if his Department offers any support or funding to schools to increase access to such programmes. [23210/16]
169. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the policy of providing universities a top-up payment per student enrolled in a course teaching computer science has been successful; the estimated cost of the programme; and the estimated increase in computer science graduates to which this has led. [23209/16]
168. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied with the guidelines on healthy, tasty and nutritious foods in primary schools; and if he will consider issuing a circular banning vending machines stocking sugary drinks, crisps and chocolate in schools. [23208/16]
167. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that voluntary secondary schools receive less funding per student per annum than the amount allocated to community schools and that allocated to Education and Training Board schools; if he can provide estimates for the difference in funding; and his views on whether there is a case for reintroducing the equalisation fund for voluntary secondary schools that ceased in 2009. [23207/16]
166. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has undertaken any review of the effectiveness of the simplified allocation process for both learning and language support introduced by his predecessor in 2012-2013; and the cost of restoring temporary English as an additional language posts to pre-2012 levels. [23206/16]
165. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on restoring the visiting teacher service for Travellers; and the cost of restoring this programme to primary and post-primary schools. [23205/16]
164. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department's review of the DEIS programme is considering the suggestion in the ESRI review of the programme that there is case for a degree of tapering of funding for schools rather than a sharp withdrawal below the specified cut-off, as currently occurs under the DEIS programme. [23204/16]
163. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is considering funding and supports for urban (band 1) DEIS schools as suggested in the ESRI review of the programme; and if his Department is also giving consideration to the ESRI suggestion in the same report to encourage schools to move away from rigid forms of ability grouping. [23203/16]
162. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a list of major curriculum changes at post-primary level that are to be introduced in the 2017-18 or 2018-19 school years. [23202/16]
161. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if all DEIS schools are prioritised in their preferential access to NEPS psychologists; and if there is scope to provide priority to non-DEIS schools with a high percentage of students from lower-income backgrounds. [23198/16]
160. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the performance of the pilot allocation system for resource teaching and learning supports; his views on whether the pilot is a success and, if so, on what indicators; his plans to extend the new allocation scheme in 2017-18 or at a later date; and the cost of the pilot scheme. [23197/16]
159. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average waiting time for students to be publicly assessed for special needs by the National Educational Psychological Service; the number of students with special needs who have received a private assessment of special needs; and if he will provide a breakdown by electoral division or local authority area. [23196/16]
158. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated costs of increasing the resource teaching hours allocations from 85% of special education review committee recommended allocation levels to 92.5% and to 100% of recommended hours. [23195/16]
157. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made on the implementation of the Ward report on contracts of indefinite duration and general recommendations for reducing workforce casualisation in the teaching profession. [23194/16]
156. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a breakdown of the resource teaching and learning support hours allocated to all schools in each electoral division or the next smallest administrative area unit available in Dublin. [23193/16]
154. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing schools one administration day per week for teaching principals to cover the establishment of a permanent pool of teachers to replace teaching principals on their administration day. [23190/16]
153. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of restoring pre-2010 capitation levels to primary schools; and the estimated cost of a 10% increase in the capitation grant to primary schools. [23189/16]
152. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of fully restoring the staffing schedule for retaining and gaining a teacher that applied for schools before 2012 for three, four and five-teacher schools. [23188/16]
151. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of implementing one-point reductions in the average class size at post-primary level. [23187/16]
150. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of implementing one-point reductions in average class size at primary level; and his estimates for reducing the average class size to 23 pupils for the 2017-18 school year. [23186/16]
93. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if, in view of the preliminary census results for County Meath showing above trend population growth, she has cause to review the current and future Garda provision in County Meath. [23232/16]
819. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to allow holders of limousine licences to use bus lanes when carrying paying passengers in view of the significant role such services play to those considering foreign direct investment here and in light of the fact that taxis can under certain circumstances use bus lanes. [22056/16]
401. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address inequalities in the pension system for women, particularly those who left the workforce to rear children before 1994; if he will address the glaring impact the increase in the required number of paid contributions made in recent years has had on women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21992/16]
315. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills whether or not his Department has undertaken any surveys asking parents and-or schools regarding the amount asked for annually in voluntary parental contributions; if his Department has any statistics on how reliant schools' budgets are, on parental contributions. [22799/16]
314. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills whether or not his Department has yet issued instructions to schools informing them of the arrangements for dealing with the data protection issues that may arise if FEMPI is applied to ASTI members in second level schools but not to TUI members; to describe what these arrangements will be. [22798/16]
259. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to extend student grants to students who attend private higher education colleges with suitably accredited and recognised programmes. [22327/16]
258. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the HEA student hardship fund can be extended to students in private colleges. [22325/16]
255. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to extend the eligibility criteria of the HEA student hardship fund to private fee paying colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22280/16]
250. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the European Investment Bank has offered the Government funds to start a student loans scheme; if the Government has accepted, rejected or done nothing in response to such an offer; if the offer is still open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22202/16]
232. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the Scottish derogation scheme. [21783/16]
80. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he agrees with the South Kildare Educate Together campaign in south County Kildare that a new secondary school is needed in that district; and if he will meet the committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21782/16]
34. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the implications of a British exit from the European Union on the electricity connection between the North and South. [21516/16]
21. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will promulgate Government policy, including planning and all other considerations, with regard to the development of wind turbines. [21515/16]
198. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the home care package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21549/16]
768. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of the Castletownmoor wind farm in County Meath that is in the pre-planning stage; if flight paths for training purposes or otherwise will be affected by the project, which contains 25 turbines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21116/16]
411. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection why a person (details supplied) has not been registered for credited contributions over the past number of years despite requesting to be so and what is required to have these recorded. [21373/16]
220. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount it would cost to reinstate all allowances to new entry teachers which were abolished in 2012-2013. [21148/16]
176. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she is aware of current delays in the Charities Regulatory Authority in providing applicant groups with a draft or model constitution which is in turn delaying their applications for charitable recognition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21250/16]
265. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health the long-term plan for the regional administrative centre and current positions which are held in Kells, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20310/16]
221. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of proposals by the Health Service Executive to relocate administrative positions based in Kells, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20425/16]
214. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health the status of the appointment of a person (details supplied) in Louth and Meath disability services; and if he will renew the contract. [20413/16]
103. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is aware of the over-crowded classroom situation at a school (details supplied); if he will provide funding to enhance the school environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20424/16]
51. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the support which was made available to a factory (details supplied); if she reviewed State funding under the aegis of her Department in recent times; and if she is aware of difficulties in the operation of this business. [19887/16]
29. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the oversight she has of State assistance in respect of a factory (details supplied); and to inform Dáil Éireann of any concerns of the State agencies under her aegis relating to the operation of this business. [19888/16]
377. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason there is no borrowing framework in place for institutes of technology, as there is for universities (details supplied); if he will outline the barriers that he considers exist to putting in place such a framework to enable institutes of technology to borrow independently. [19106/16]
170. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if, when consulting on the technological university model and drafting the Technological University Bill, his Department had ever considered creating a comprehensive national technological university system to encompass institutes of technologies across all regions (details supplied); and the reason the technological university consortium model on a regional basis was considered better. [19113/16]