incidents of school bullying particularly through electronic means; if she is satisfied regarding the extent to which support is made immediately available for victims and that such victims have ready access to reporting mechanism and subsequent support

commonly raised issues affecting education in the classroom as set out in submissions from the various school authorities such as over-crowding, special needs requirments, pupil-teacher ratios, class size and lack of adequate accomodation and teaching

expects to be in a position to improve the pupil-teacher ratio/class sizes at primary and second level in the course of the coming year

remains satisfied that the skills requirement of the workplace continues to be met by education; her further proposals in this regard

position to provide the necessary support facilities at primary and second level schools throughout the country to meet the requirements of children with special needs

total number of temporary and/or permanent school place accommodation requirements currently on hand in her Department as set out in correspondence with the various school authorities at primary and second level

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, TD, confirmed that the balancing payments under the 2014 Single Farm Payment scheme will commence on target on 1st December. These payments, totaling over €550 million, will begin issuing to 120,000 farmers on 1 December.

Fine Gael Cork South West TD, Noel Harrington, has said that major changes to brucellosis testing will deliver savings for farmers worth €6 million per anum.

Fine Gael Senator for Clare and the party’s Seanad Spokesperson on Justice, Martin Conway, has today (Thursday), said the publication of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2014 by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD, will provide new robust mechanisms to protect children from sex abusers who use the internet to stalk their victims.

Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly and Member of the Oireachtas Justice Committee, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has today (Thursday), welcomed the publication of the new Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2014 which includes her own bill on child grooming.