Archive for the ‘Oral Questions’ Category
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For Oral Answer on : 25/10/2017
Question Number(s): 60 Question Reference(s): 44810/17
Department: Education and Skills
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the strategy his department is adopting to address the deficit of primary school places in west Swords; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
In order to plan for school provision, the demographic data for the Swords school planning area, as with other school planning areas nationwide, is being kept under ongoing review by my Department to take account of updated child benefit data and updated enrolment data. It is anticipated that decisions based on these exercises will be announced before year end.
As the Deputy is aware, there are a total of 11 schools enrolling junior infant classes serving the Swords area, comprising 8 Catholic schools, one Gaelscoil, one Educate Together school and one Church of Ireland school. My Department is aware of the pressure on school places in recent years in the Swords school planning area. In that regard, my Department will be making contact with the patrons of the schools concerned in relation to the expected enrolment position in each school and with the aim of ensuring that there is adequate accommodation to cater for the demand for places in September 2018.
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For Oral Answer on : 25/10/2017
Question Number(s): 69 Question Reference(s): 44811/17
Department: Education and Skills
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the review of the criteria into Caranua will be completed; and when the results of that review will be made available to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
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Clare questions the Minister for Justice regarding the need to address the flawed policy of sending women to prison; the ongoing efforts needed to tackle drugs inside Irish prisons, and the cutbacks in treatment available for those who want to deal with their addiction….
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For Oral Answer on : 19/10/2017
Question Number(s): 10 Question Reference(s): 44225/17
Department: Justice and Equality
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to parliamentary question numbers 233 and 234 of 10 October 2017, his plans to rethink his strategy in relation to women with regard to the building of a larger prison facility and the promotion of step down facilities rather than non custodial alternatives and supported independent living.
REPLY
I wish to advise the Deputy that in the joint Probation Service/Irish Prison Service Women’s Strategy 2014 – 2016, An Effective Response to Women Who Offend, published in 2014, the Irish Prison Service made a commitment to explore the development of an open centre/open conditions for women assessed as being at low risk of re-offending.
This commitment was acknowledged in the Report on the Strategic Review of Penal Policy which also recommended a greater focus on step down facilities, supported accommodation, the use of more community based open conditions for female offenders, and the provision of an open centre for women.