Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 2

Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

396 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the serious difficulties created for schools in disadvantaged areas as a result of circular 21/01 regarding the phasing out of community employment schemes in primary schools and increased grants for the provision of caretaker and secretarial services; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the result for some schools has been a significant reduction in caretaker and secretarial services and that FÁS has been requesting the schools, as sponsors, to pay statutory redundancy payments to supervisors; the steps he intends to take to deal with this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4188/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

My Department provides funding towards ancillary services in schools in the form of assistance to schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. Responsibility for the operation of community employment, CE, schemes in schools lies with FÁS. In line with a PPF commitment to mainstream certain essential services provided under CE, I recently secured the transfer of €58,407,951, £46 million, per annum to my Department on a phased basis between 2001 and 2003 as the FÁS school-based CE schemes come to an end. The availability of this funding has enabled me to make significant progress in respect of the provision of secretarial and caretaking services to schools by putting in place an equitable system of funding for ancillary services throughout the free education school system. My Department received a total of €40,631,618, £32 million, for the 2001-02 school year.

My Department has now issued circulars to all primary schools outlining details of the new funding arrangements. In line with the new arrangements, the level of funding provided by my Department to schools has been increased from the €50.79, £40, per pupil that applied in the 2000-2001 school year to the €101.58, £80, per pupil that applies in this school year. It is anticipated that the payment at the rate of €101.58, £80, per pupil will issue to schools in February.

I have set aside approximately €2.5 million in 2002 to respond to the particular difficulties that may be experienced by some schools.

The Deputy will also be aware that I recently agreed with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS that all school based CE participants with a legitimate expectation of up to three years participation in a school based CE scheme will be facilitated to complete their full term. This adjustment to the phasing out of CE schemes in schools means that certain CE participants may be entitled to continue working on CE in schools up to and including 2004, depending on their individual circumstances and entitlements under CE. This adjustment should also ensure that the withdrawal of CE schemes takes place on a more gradual basis and therefore reduce the immediate impact on schools.

Furthermore, schools that used CE participants as classroom assistants to assist with the care of pupils with disabilities should note that my Department has a special needs assistant scheme in place for such purposes. School authorities may apply for the services of a special needs assistant to assist in catering for pupils with special care needs arising from a disability. Further details on the operation of the special needs assistant scheme are available from special education section, Department of Education and Science, Athlone, County Westmeath.

While issues relating to the question of supervisors being made redundant are essentially matters outside the remit of my Department, I have been informed that FÁS employment services will make every effort to ensure that CE supervisors being made redundant are made aware of other employment opportunities, including those arising in the social economy, as this programme is rolled out, or in other CE schemes. In such cases, FÁS employment services will initiate contact with supervisors and provide the full range of employment supports, including job placement or further training if required. In addition FÁS will ensure that redundant supervisors, with their consent, are placed on the regional database of CE supervisors for future prospective employers.

Furthermore, arrangements are already in place whereby FÁS will fund the statutory redundancy entitlements of supervisors made redundant due to the mainstreaming of schools services where the sponsors are unable to meet these costs from their own resources.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

397 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the serious difficulties created for a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24 as a result of circular 21/01 regarding the phasing out of community employment schemes in primary schools and increased grants for the provision of caretaker and secretarial; if, in view of the serious problems created, he will initiate discussions with the Mini ster for Enterprise, Trade and Employment with a view to reinstituting the community employment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4189/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

My Department provides funding towards ancillary services in schools in the form of assistance to schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. In line with a PPF commitment to mainstream certain essential services provided under community employment schemes, CE, I recently secured the transfer of €58,407,951, £46 million, per annum to my Department on a phased basis between 2001 and 2003, as the FÁS school-based CE schemes come to an end. The availability of this funding has enabled me to make significant progress in relation to the provision of secretarial and caretaking services to schools by putting in place an equitable system of funding for ancillary services throughout the free education school system. My Department received a total of €40,631,618, £32 million, for the 2001-02 school year.

I am increasing the grant for caretakers and secretaries from €50.79, £40, per pupil per annum to €126.98, £100, per pupil over this school year and the next. With effect from September 2001, the grant was increased from €50.79, £40, to €76.18, £60, per pupil. This has been further increased to €101.58, £80, per pupil with effect from January 2002. As a result, the minimum grant to be paid to schools with 60 pupils or less has increased from €3,047.37, £2,400, to €6,094.74, £4,800, while schools with 500 pupils or more will increase from €25,394.76, £20,000, to €50,789.52, £40,000, per annum.

The school in question had the services of a shared secretary up to the end of 2001, and was also receiving per capita grant aid from my Department of £20, €25.39, per pupil for caretaking services. From January this year, the school's secretarial sharing arrangement has been terminated, with the school's agreement, and the school will now receive per capita grant aid from my Department for both secretarial and caretaking services. The total per capita payment this year will therefore amount to €101.58, £80, per pupil. A payment of €7,701 in respect of the secretarial service issued recently to the school. A similar payment will shortly be made in respect of the caretaking service. I am setting aside approximately €2.5 million in 2002 to respond to the particular difficulties that may be experienced by some schools.

The Deputy will also be aware that I recently agreed with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS that all school based CE participants with a legitimate expectation of up to three years' participation in a school based CE scheme will be facilitated to complete their full term. This adjustment to the phasing out of CE schemes in schools means that certain CE participants may be entitled to continue working on CE in schools up to and including 2004, depending on their individual circumstances and entitlements under CE. This adjustment should also ensure that the withdrawal of CE schemes takes place on a more gradual basis and therefore reduce the immediate impact on schools.