Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way new teachers will manage to gain the hours necessary to complete their probation if he radically reduces the sub teaching hours available as a result of proposals included in Croke Park 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25497/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The revised proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission for the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-16 provide for additional time under the supervision and substitution scheme to be used in the following ways: from the start of the 2013-14 school year, for all uncertified sick leave absences in schools, subject to normal alleviation measures in schools; and from the start of the 2014-15 school year, for the first day of force majeure leave and illness in family leave. While these measures will reduce the overall use of substitute teachers, new teachers will still be able to gain the hours necessary to complete their period of probation in the normal manner. The public service trade unions are considering these proposals. I do not think that it would be helpful to this ongoing process for me to comment or elaborate on proposals which were carefully constructed by the LRC.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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83. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts he has made to assist students of teacher training colleges to meet the costs of Gaeltacht placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25492/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As part of the Government's budgetary considerations and the Comprehensive Expenditure Review carried out in 2011, it was decided to abolish payments by this Department towards the cost of attendance at Gaeltacht courses by initial teacher education students with effect from September 2012. To assist with the costs of the Gaeltacht placement, students who are in receipt of a student grant which includes a 100% fee grant, or who would have qualified for a full fee grant but for the Free Fees Schemes, can apply for funding towards travel and accommodation costs under the field trip element of a fee grant, subject to the normal terms and conditions of the scheme. Apart from the student grant system, in circumstances of particular need students may apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. Information in relation to this fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended.