Results 2,281-2,300 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Other Questions: Book Rental Scheme (21 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: The policy of ensuring every school has a school book rental scheme is commendable and we fully support it. However, we part ways on the question of how the scheme will proceed. It is based on very crude information and the only question asked was whether the school operated a school book rental scheme. Any school that answered "Yes" was excluded from the new scheme, even though some of...

Charities (Amendment) Bill 2014 [Private Members]: Second Stage (21 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Some 12 months ago the Minister visited Cork and, for our sins, we put on football boots and socks and ended up playing a charity match for a worthwhile organisation that was just getting off the ground. It was trying to help families who had lost loved ones through suicide. That effort is being replicated across the State and there is not one Deputy or member of the public who has not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (21 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reverse the fees imposed on apprentices for off the job training. [2338/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (21 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 145. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for new laws that will monitor teacher performance. [2340/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (21 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools here that operate withdrawal or timeout rooms for children with autism; and his plans to regulate and monitor the use of them. [2339/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (21 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding that is ring fenced to ensure schools have the capacity to deliver the new junior certificate reforms. [2341/14]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (21 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 318. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form a list of all professional fees, including but not limited to legal, consultancy, IT related, advisory, capital, advertising and accountancy, the company name and the amount invoiced between 1 May 2011 and 31 December 2013 for all agencies under the aegis of his Department. [2383/14]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Corporation Tax Regime (21 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 326. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the input from his Department to the Department of Finance report, Principal Risks to Ireland’s Corporation Tax Strategy; if he has read the report; and his views on the report. [2951/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 60. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the exact persons and their job titles employed by the Health Service Executive who Student Universal Support Ireland will accept as qualified to attest to the veracity of a claim that a student is estranged from their family in order to assess their eligibility for a grant based on their own income when they are under 23...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Deputy McConalogue covered almost everything, but I have some brief questions on policy issues. How is the action plan on bullying progressing and how is the success of its roll-out being measured? Perhaps the Minister would give an update on it. Also, will he outline how the guidelines on mental health are proceeding? How is the Department measuring their success or lack of it? With...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Chairman, I have a final question on the capitation grants. There is a reduction again this year, yet the amount of funding allocated for capitation grants has increased. I presume that is due to an increase in the student population. Will the Minister clarify that?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: What about the Department?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Was the roll-out of junior cycle reform reliant on the union accepting the Haddington Road agreement at the time?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: I welcome the fact that every school will have access to a psychologist. One of the issues that came to my attention is that when NEPS personnel come to a school, they can only carry out so many assessments. A maximum of three students can be assessed at any one time. Some schools have more than three students awaiting an assessment by NEPS personnel and I wonder if the Department has...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: I will table a parliamentary question on it.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: In regard to capitation grants, we are looking at another 1% reduction this year. We are also looking at an ever-increasing number of schools running financial deficits. Obviously, that burden is being picked up by parents. I know the Minister's Department is trying to address the cost of sending children back to school and trying to alleviate some of that financial burden parents must...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Has the Department given out guidelines or information?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: There is good communication between the Department and schools in regard to possible ways to close that gap in terms of financial incentives.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: If one looks at the figures for capitation, we are actually increasing the spend on capitation but that is to offset the increase in the number of students.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: I do not think the Minister will be able to continue to do that over the next number of years because the student population will continue to grow. If it is a policy decision - I am not saying it is one - to keep the capitation payout at the same level, then one is looking at decreasing it continually to offset the increase in the number of students.