I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, to the House.
Adjournment Matters
UNESCO Convention Ratification
I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for taking this matter which calls on the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970. I believe Ireland should ratify this convention which deals with the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property. The Minister of State will recall that a number of relics have been stolen recently. I will list the most recent examples, which will tell the House how well-known the situation is. If Ireland ratifies this convention it could prevent it from happening. An artefact containing the heart of St. Laurence O'Toole was stolen from Christchurch Cathedral in the centre of Dublin in March. Last October the relic of the true cross, said to contain fragments of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, was stolen from Holycross Abbey in County Tipperary. Prior to this another relic, known as the precious shrine of St. Manchan, was found by the Garda. If Ireland ratified the convention on cultural property it would provide a legal safeguard to prevent this type of illicit trading, exporting and hoarding and using Ireland as a base to hide artefacts stolen from other countries.
This motion is aimed at protecting our cultural heritage from the real threat of the illicit trade in artefacts. I call on the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, to bring a memo to Government fairly promptly and proceed with Ireland's ratification of the convention which would help ensure cultural objects stolen from Irish heritage sites and other locations can be returned to their rightful owners. It would mean that if relics or artefacts belonging to another country which had already ratified the convention were found here we would return them to that other country. Equally, if artefacts, relics or cultural property which belong to us were in another country they would be returned to us. The adoption of the convention would discourage illegal traders from purchasing cultural objects illegally acquired and exported from Ireland and would facilitate the return of cultural objects illegally exported from Ireland which are located in nations which have ratified the convention.
In the past year three important relics were stolen from religious sites in this country. Ratification of the convention would help provide a legal safeguard for these items, which are an important legacy of Ireland's rich cultural history. Ratification of the convention would also mitigate against Ireland becoming a location of choice for the storage and hoarding of cultural objects illegally imported because of its status as a non-signatory of the convention. This is not the reputation we want to have. Ireland is one of only seven EU states which are not signatories to the convention. The other countries are Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Malta.
The situation regarding the Elgin Marbles, the priceless sculptures from the Acropolis in Athens which are on display in the British Museum in London, is probably the best known example and causes ongoing rancour between Britain and Greece. Greece is understandably outraged at the ongoing presence of some of its most important cultural heritage in a foreign country. It is high time Ireland addressed this situation and signed up to the UNESCO convention on cultural property which would protect our cultural heritage. I am keen to hear the response of the Minister of State on behalf of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I am also keen to know when Ireland will ratify the treaty and when the Minister is likely to bring a memo to Government to start the process.
I am delighted to be here on behalf of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, to consider the issues which Senator Healy Eames has raised.
The area of the protection of cultural property has been the subject of examination in many states. It is fair to say that most governments are conscious of the need to protect the cultural heritage which is unique to their state. After all, it is what defines and sets apart that state. Ireland is no different. The importance of our heritage and culture has long been recognised and has been represented directly at the Cabinet table for the past 20 years.
An examination of some of the recitals to the UNESCO convention will underline some of the principles in this area. For example, the convention considers that cultural property constitutes one of the basic elements of civilisation and national culture and that its true value can be appreciated only with regard to the fullest possible information regarding its origin, history and traditional setting. In addition, the convention considers that it is incumbent upon every state to protect the cultural property in its territory against the dangers of theft, clandestine excavation and illicit export. These are all admirable sentiments and I am sure they would be supported by Members of the House.
The State is alive to its obligations in this area and already has in place a comprehensive infrastructure to protect the cultural heritage of the State. A number of our national cultural institutions, including the National Museum of Ireland, the National Archives of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland and the National Gallery of Ireland, have put in place systems to protect the particular aspects of cultural heritage within their remit.
Substantial off-site storage facilities have been secured for the National Museum in recent years to address concerns about the adequacy of its storage facilities. Significant fit out works were carried out by both the owner of the premises and the National Museum to ensure that optimum conditions for the storage of the required elements of our national collections prevail and the facility is now operational. The National Library is engaged in a consultancy process to identify the optimum storage solution for the library's collections. Similar work is ongoing in the National Archives building to maximise the storage space available.
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is entrusted to protect and preserve objects relating to Ireland's archaeological and cultural heritage. Licences to export cultural goods and objects from Ireland to destinations within and outside the EU and licences to alter archaeological objects are issued by the Department and or the relevant national cultural institution having regard to the particular object, document or painting. It is essential for the Department to be aware of the export of such items and, if necessary, to employ measures to assist in the retention in the State of objects of particular cultural value. The export provisions are considered essential to ensure the protection of Ireland's cultural heritage and play a critical role in mitigating the potential loss of objects of significant cultural value to the State.
In essence, the convention we are discussing sets down a wide definition of cultural property including property of artistic interest, property relating to history, including scientific, technological, military and social history, the lives of national leaders, thinkers, scientists and artists, and events of national importance. It then sets out the obligations and the structure that states should put in place to prevent the illegal import and transfer of ownership of cultural property. The State has not yet ratified the convention. However, a new monuments Bill is being prepared by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The Bill proposes to put in place the necessary provisions to ratify the UNESCO convention. The Senator will be pleased to hear the monuments Bill is with the Parliamentary Counsel for drafting, with publication expected in early 2013.
The area of the return of cultural goods has already been the subject of action at EU level. Council Directive 93/7/EEC of 15 March 1993, as amended, deals with the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a member state and located in the territory of another member state. This was implemented in Ireland by way of statutory instruments during the 1990s. However, the Commission has acknowledged there is rising concern about increasing illegal trade in high cultural properties such as paintings, sculptures, religious property and archaeological pieces. In recognition of this concern, the Commission launched a public consultation, which is now closed, on ways to improve the safe-keeping of cultural goods and the return between member states of national treasures unlawfully removed from their territory. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will monitor and assess developments in this regard. I hope this clarifies the position for the Senator.
I am delighted this is on the agenda of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and there is a plan to ratify the UNESCO convention in early 2013. The Minister of State mentioned that the Commission had launched a public consultation on this convention. Was notification received in Ireland and is the Minister of State aware of any Irish responses to it?
We are extremely fortunate to have the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, in charge of this important portfolio dealing with the arts and cultural matters. He has great empathy with the sector and since his appointment has been extraordinarily successful in dealing decisively with this issue. While the public consultation has been closed, I am certain it was wide-ranging. However, to answer the Senator's question directly, I have no doubt but that the Minister will clarify the position. Nevertheless, the UNESCO convention will be ratified and his announcement that a new Bill is being introduced is good news. I note it is at the drafting stage at present. I believe the concerns raised by the Senator will be addressed clearly in legislation now being drafted.
I thank the Minister of State.
On a point of order, I wish to clarify that Committee Stage of the Criminal Justice (Search Warrants) Bill 2012 should have been ordered for Thursday, rather than for next Tuesday.
Is that agreed? Agreed. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, for his responses to Senator Healy Eames.
Services for People with Disabilities
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House.
I welcome, as always, the Minister of State to the House and acknowledge she is well aware of this important issue. A number of issues arise from my perspective and I am not satisfied the Minister of State's office has been briefed adequately on the facts relevant to this case. I do not seek to cause an issue to arise between the Minister of State and me. She is focused on her brief and I often have praised her in this Chamber for her determination and commitment to it. In this case, I ask the Minister of State to provide a detailed statement regarding reports on the underfunding of the care of people with intellectual disabilities at Wisdom Services at Cregg House. In particular, the notes to editors accompanying her press release of last week, which indicated that services would continue, mentioned the Department did not accept there was an underfunding issue. However, the HSE publishes an annual report containing details of revenue and capital funding paid to section 38 voluntary service providers, of which Wisdom Services is an example. An analysis of all the published reports from 2005 to the present day reveals that Wisdom Services received a lower percentage increase throughout all those years when compared with comparable service providers in the sector. I do not know the reason this should have been the case and consider it to be fundamentally wrong. Moreover, an exercise conducted by the working group appointed jointly by the HSE and Wisdom Services on foot of a meeting between Oireachtas Members and the Minister of State when this issue first arose last April, revealed that HSE facilities are better funded than the services provided by Wisdom Services at Cregg House. The difference is apparent in the case of residential services, services in community homes and day services.
Wisdom Services is a section 38 health service provider, that is, a designated provider of services on behalf of the HSE and its costs are lower than those of comparable services provided directly by the HSE to persons with intellectual disabilities. I understand these facts are reflected in two reports. While I am uncertain whether the Minister of State has yet had sight of the national value for money review, I am reliably informed this is the case when compared with other section 38 voluntary agencies. It also is reflected in a report, which again I gather the Minister of State may not yet have seen, namely, the result of the collaborative process between the HSE and representatives from Wisdom Services over the past month or so, which has culminated with the announcement by the Daughters of Wisdom that they were obliged to pull out on the basis that they could not stand over the continued underfunding.
I take the Minister of State's view that the services will continue, although I have questions to ask about that shortly. Apart from that issue, I have a concern as a public representative for the people of the north west. The representatives from Wisdom Services, under the auspices of the Daughters of Wisdom, are providing a service that is more cost effective and which provides greater value for money than the HSE can provide directly in the area. In the face of present difficulties and given the scarcity of resources, everything possible should be done to ask them to stay on and to ensure their effective management is replicated elsewhere among section 38 providers, as well as in the directly-provided HSE services, rather than pursuing an agenda which I consider to be pushing them out. I believe there are agendas at play in this regard. While I do not believe it is the agenda of the Minister of State, and I acknowledge this sounds strange, I believe the Government is being used as a pawn to ensure these service providers are pushed out in order that the HSE can take control of the services. I do not believe this is in the best interests of either the clients, that is, the people who use those services and their families, or those of the State because, as I stated it is alleged that two value for money reports, the most recent of which was conducted between Wisdom Services and the HSE directly, as well as the national value for money review carried out on section 38 voluntary agencies, show Wisdom Services is providing better value for money.
The other point with which I take issue concerns the notes to editors contained in the Minister of State's press release on this issue. The Minister of State has stated——
The Senator's time has concluded.
I know but I ask the Acting Chairman to indulge me slightly because I have a couple of brief points to make. As the Minister of State has made the effort to be present in the Chamber, the least I can do is to make the points outlining my rationale for raising this matter. The aforementioned notes stated Wisdom Services has received 38% of the funding and have 23% of the people with intellectual disabilities. That is a ridiculous statement and clearly was written by a spindoctor, rather than someone who is involved in the delivery of services to those with intellectual disabilities. Anyone familiar with this issue is aware that those who receive the services at Cregg House are the people with the most complexities. As other people's intellectual disabilities might be mild, when compared with the more severe to profound intellectual disabilities dealt with at Cregg House, it is only right the latter receives a higher proportion of funding relative to the complexities of the services that are delivered in that area.
Third, the Minister of State must have been misinformed because the person I know would never have been as flippant with language as to state there were difficulties for quite some time at Wisdom Services. This suggests a level of incompetence and recklessness with funding which——
I have given the Senator great leeway.
—— simply was not present. The Minister of State should correct the record in this regard because an audio version of her contribution was disgraceful, in respect of the complexion it created regarding the facts, which include the brilliance and expertise that was delivered by the people operating under the auspices of Wisdom Services over the years. At this late stage, I ask the Minister of State to engage in a process to attempt to persuade the Daughters of Wisdom to stay on——
I call on the Minister of State.
—— and to continue to deliver the aforementioned services. Moreover, if it is necessary to deflect a portion of the national budget to that particular HSE area, it should be done. I believe it is in the best interests of the State from a value-for-money perspective and more important——
Senator MacSharry is repeating himself.
—— it is in the best interests of those who use those services. I thank the Acting Chairman for his indulgence.
I thank the Senator and acknowledge this is not the first time he has shown an interest in this issue. I thank him for raising this matter, which gives me an opportunity to outline the current position in respect of Wisdom Services. To correct one point, when I stated that there had been difficulties, it was never to indicate there was mismanagement or something untoward with the service. I believe this contribution probably will confirm this was never the intention. As the Senator is aware, Wisdom Services is a voluntary body operated by the Daughters of Wisdom, which provides services for people with disabilities in the north-western region. It supports more than 200 service users, with 111 on campus, 75 in the community and 20 day attendees. I was disappointed to learn that the Daughters of Wisdom, who operate Wisdom Services, have advised the HSE they intend to withdraw from the provision of services on behalf of the HSE. The decision was made in the light of serious concerns on the part of Wisdom Services regarding a deficit built up in 2010 and 2011 which continues to increase in 2012, and other financial concerns. When I stated there were difficulties in arrears that is what I meant.
Wisdom Services have written to all families of service users. Sister Quinn informed me in writing that all families were telephoned as well, which is only what I would expect from a service that has been in operation for a considerable time and which, from everything I have heard, has delivered an excellent service. They also arranged staff briefings to outline their reasons for withdrawal. Wisdom Services have been funded consistently by the HSE over the years and also benefited from additional intellectual disability developmental funding in the period 2006 to 2011, along with additional capital funding in this period. All services need to update and I am sure that is what this money was about. This compared favourably with the percentage of intellectually disabled, or ID, clients from this area who were covered by their services. I do not accept that this service has been underfunded, allowing for the necessary reductions which have been applied to all service providers in recent years.
The HSE has been working with Wisdom Services for some time to address their financial concerns and identify opportunities for efficiencies and savings through potential new combinations of service deliveries in the north-west area. Wisdom Services had a cost containment plan for 2012 which has had some success but in spite of the detailed engagement by the HSE in an effort to resolve the various issues, and faced with significant financial concerns, Wisdom Services decided to voluntarily withdraw from service provision.
The HSE is working closely with Wisdom Services to ensure continuity of service for service users during an agreed transition phase for the service. The process for transition has now commenced and the first meeting of a steering group of Wisdom Services management and HSE officials was held yesterday, Monday, 18 June. The process will include a due diligence exercise to establish the options for future management of these services.
It is regrettable that the Daughters of Wisdom made the decision they were no longer in a position to augment or subsidise the services provided and that they have decided to cease as a provider. The HSE respects this view and all parties have agreed a co-operative approach to the transition process to ensure the needs of service users and their families will continue to be met.
On behalf of the Minister for Health, I express thanks to Wisdom Services for their dedication and commitment to providing services to children and adults within the north west since 1955, and wish them well for the future. That is a substantial period during which to have delivered a service. I regret that the Daughters of Wisdom have withdrawn from the service. I believe a solution could have been found. However, the deficits that continued to increase could not be sustained. The Daughters of Wisdom have provided an excellent service down through the years at a time when, as I have stated consistently, the State was not providing that service. We owe a debt of gratitude to these people that we will find very difficult to repay.
I accept the response of the Minister of State but I do not like it. It is worth remembering it was at the invitation of the State that these people provided the services. Applying the basic business common sense I may have, I do not see how we expected Wisdom Services to run a deficit they would subsidise from the religious order and at the same time, in spite of the fact that they did this more cheaply and cost effectively than the HSE can do directly, how we expect a third party or the HSE to be able to take over this service, do as good a job with fewer resources and not run a deficit. I do not see how that is possible. If the Minister of State wishes to take upon herself to engage directly with the Daughters of Wisdom I am sure they could be convinced or influenced to stay on and continue the service if a way can be found to ensure that adequate funding can be made available. Along with the Minister of State, I believe there is a solution. For that reason, I say to her that outside the Department of Health and beyond the office of the Minister, there is an agenda at work that may not be the purest. I hate to see such an excellent service used as a pawn in a game that does not at all involve them.
The final word from the Minister of State.
As to the value for money review, I have not seen it and although there have been discussions around it there has been no detail. I do not know where the figures come from in terms of the HSE providing the service along with voluntary organisations. I do not know where that argument comes from because I have seen nothing to support it.
Surely then, we should wait until we see that review before we allow Wisdom Services to disengage.
I cannot demand that people who are free to make these decisions should make a different decision. I was disappointed that this happened. I believed there could have been a solution but that did not happen. The service will continue for the people who need it. The pay costs will be the same and the increments will have to be paid. There will be a new management structure rather than a new service but a different service will have to be looked at because in every service we are looking at a different way of doing things.
Are we potentially downscaling the service?
No. There will be no downscaling of the service. The service, as it exists, will continue.
That clarifies the situation. I thank the Minister of State. I now call my constituency colleague, Senator Lorraine Higgins.
Primary Care Facilities
I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her for taking this Adjournment matter regarding the potential provision of primary health care facilities in the east Galway area. Primary health care was born as a concept under the Declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978 but it entered the Irish lexicon only in recent years. It was an important milestone in the promotion of world health as it introduced a new way of delivering essential health services. The type of services provided under this concept are imperative for people in areas such as Athenry, Tuam, Loughrea, Ballinasloe, Gort and Portumna. These facilities would provide a wide range of services essential for the well-being of members of these communities and include the promotion of health, screening, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, as well as personal social services. They are particularly attractive as a concept in that they are fully accessible by way of self-referral and operate as a one-stop shop for health needs.
Although the term "primary health care facilities" is often used in synch with the term "general practice", it is important to point out that the former is much broader than the latter as it involves many health professionals, delivering a wide range of services from such as general practitioners, public health nurses, general nurses, social workers, midwives, community mental health nurses, dieticians, dentists, community welfare officers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chiropodists, community pharmacists, psychologists and others. As we know, the current health system is not a fully integrated one, as many of the aforementioned professionals are private practitioners or direct employees of the public health system, and they operate with general practitioners, who are independent contractors.
We need a better health service for everybody in the community and for that reason I ask the Minister of State to outline her plans today. Our health strategy should aim to deliver improvements in the personal experience of many thousands of individuals who are availing of health services every day. To that end, it is imperative that the aforementioned services be made available within the community. That is the reason I request the Minister of State to expand the primary care team concept to Loughrea, Ballinasloe, Gort, Tuam, Portumna and Athenry, in the interest of providing accessible community care facilities to the citizens of these areas. If the Minister of State is minded to provide these facilities in these areas, I further ask that she make the necessary arrangements in the capital budget to implement this programme over the coming three years.
I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The programme for Government sets out this Government's commitment to ensuring a better and more efficient health system; a single-tier health service that will deliver equal access to health care based on need, not income. In a developed primary care system, up to 95% of people's day-to-day health and social care needs can be met in the primary care setting. The key objective of the primary care strategy is to develop services in the community which will give people direct access to integrated multidisciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other health care disciplines. This is central to this Government's objective of delivering a high quality, integrated and cost-effective health system. The HSE has identified that 485 primary care teams will be needed by the end of 2012. Some 403 primary care teams were in operation by the end of April 2012. They were holding clinical team meetings on individual client cases, involving general practitioners and HSE staff. The development of primary care services is an essential component of the health service reform process. A modern and well-equipped primary care infrastructure is central to the efficient functioning of primary care teams. These teams enable multidisciplinary services to be delivered on a single site, provide a single point of access for users and encourage closer co-operation between health providers. The infrastructure that will be developed through a combination of public and private investment will facilitate the delivery of multidisciplinary primary health care. This represents a tangible refocusing of the health service to deliver care in the most appropriate and lowest cost setting. To date, the intention has been that infrastructure can be provided, where appropriate, by the private sector through negotiated lease agreements.
The Exchequer will continue to fund the delivery of primary care centres in deprived urban areas, small rural towns and isolated areas. Where service needs dictate, accommodation will be provided in primary care centres for mental health service delivery. The universal primary care project team was established earlier this year to make progress with the various primary care commitments in the programme for Government. Six work streams have been identified, one of which is addressing infrastructure needs. The HSE submitted its accommodation needs assessment report for primary care teams earlier this year. Delivery of primary care infrastructure must be informed by an analysis of needs, with priority being given to areas of urban and rural deprivation. The HSE is currently prioritising locations for primary care centres on the basis of an analysis of needs. Decisions on a delivery programme will be made when this exercise has been completed. The HSE's national service plan for 2012 states that a primary care centre in Athenry will be delivered late in 2012 using the lease initiative. Construction of the facility has begun. It is estimated that it will be completed late in the third quarter of 2012. The primary care team in Ballinasloe is accommodated in a building that was completed in 2003. Decisions on locations for primary care centres will be made in the context of the prioritisation exercise that is under way. I thank the Senator again for raising this issue.
I thank the Minister of State for her succinct response. I am delighted that 485 primary health care teams have been rolled out in recent times or will be rolled out in the near future. It represents a firm commitment on the part of the Government with regard to this country's health service. It is fantastic that deprived urban areas and small rural towns will get the benefit of the Government's plan. I hope all the towns I mentioned in my initial remarks will be considered when decisions are being made on the locations of primary health care facilities. I thank the Minister of State again.
It is interesting to extract information from the health statistics. The statistics make it clear that the areas of highest deprivation have the lowest availability of any service. That is why the prioritisation exercise is vitally important. We are not just talking about urban areas — we are also talking about areas outside the bigger population bases.
Míbhuntáiste Oideachasúil
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock.
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Níl a fhios agam an mbeadh sé iomlán compordach dá labharfainn go hiomlán trí Ghaeilge. Baineann an rún seo le scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta. Go dtí seo, bhí deis ag páistí meánscoile ar fud na Gaeltachta buntáiste a bhaint as na scoláireachtaí a bhí ar fáil ó 1916. Bhí scoláirí a bhí ag freastal ar scoileanna Gaeltachta agus ag fáil a gcuid oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge in ann cur isteach ar scoláireachtaí a thug deis dóibh dul ar aghaidh go dtí oideachas tríú leibhéal. I gcásanna áirithe, bhí páistí ag iarraidh dul ar aghaidh go dtí an ollscoil. Gan an scéim seo, ní bheadh an deis sin acu de bhrí nach raibh an t-airgead ag a dteaghlaigh. Ar an drochuair, rinne an Rialtas cinneadh deireadh a chur leis na scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta, mar a bhí, agus iad a dhíriú ar mheánscoileanna DEIS amháin. Cuireann sé sin isteach ar an scoil atá luaite sa rún agam. Ritheann sé go huile is go hiomlán in éadan an méid atá ráite sa straitéis 20 bliain don Ghaeilge. As the Minister of State might not understand the Donegal dialect of Irish, I will repeat in English the point I have made about the scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta, or Irish language scholarships, that were available to students in Gaeltacht areas who were attending second level education. The scheme in question gave such students an opportunity to obtain assistance that allowed them to go to university and promote the Irish language in third and fourth level education. The Minister for Education and Skills announced earlier this year that the qualification criteria for that scheme were to be changed. As a result, these scholarships are now confined to students from DEIS secondary schools.
Pobal Scoil Ghaoth Dobhair is the only full-time Irish-language second-level school in any Gaeltacht area in the country. The full curriculum is delivered to the approximately 400 pupils who attend the school through the medium of Irish. The school's leaving certificate results are second to none. The school is located in an area of high unemployment where many people are eligible for medical cards. Each of the seven or eight primary schools that send their pupils to Pobal Scoil Gaoth Dobhair is a DEIS school. Therefore, all of the kids who attend the secondary school in question come from DEIS schools. In that context, I do not understand why the Government has decided to withdraw DEIS status from Pobal Scoil Gaoth Dobhair. When one examines the poverty and deprivation statistics for the area, it appears to meet all the criteria. The only criterion it might not meet is that relating to educational outcomes. Its pupils should not be penalised as a result of the quality of teaching and their willingness to learn.
If the DEIS status of Pobal Scoil Gaoth Dobhair were to be reinstated, its pupils would qualify for the new scholarship arrangement. Although that is one possible solution, it is not the best one. The best solution would be to revert to the old method, which was established by Pádraig Pearse in 1916, whereby Gaeltacht scholarships were awarded to students from the Irish language-speaking parts of this country. A person from a Gaeltacht area who is fulfilling his or her second level education through the medium of Irish should get a financial benefit if he or she gets a certain amount of points in the leaving certificate. The former approach, whereby a scholarship was provided to enable a pupil to go on to third level education if his or her family could not afford to send him or her to do so, had stood the test of time until it was changed by the Minister, Deputy Quinn, in recent months. That decision will have drastic consequences for Pobal Scoil Gaoth Dobhair — between seven and ten Gaeltacht scholarships are awarded to the school every year — and other secondary schools in Gaeltacht areas. As a result of the change I have mentioned, not one pupil in the school will be entitled to a scholarship next September. If previous trends had continued, up to ten students would have been able to avail of this scheme.
The Senator's time is up.
This is an area of high unemployment. It meets all of the deprivation statistics. I have spoken to members of the parents' committee in the school who are of the firm opinion that the withdrawal of these scholarships has the potential to mean that some students will not be able to afford to go to third level education. That is wrong. I know of secondary schools in other parts of the country with DEIS status that do not meet the same criteria that this school does. There are two issues. First, the overriding issue of the change in scholarship policy. Second, why has a school with DEIS status, along with all of the feeder national schools, been withdrawn?
I have allowed the Senator great latitude.
I thank the Acting Chairman.
Let me first state that I apologise for not being able to engage with the Senator as proficiently as possible through the medium of Irish. Perhaps that is a reflection on the rota of Ministers who reply and perhaps he should have been afforded the opportunity of a full reply as gaeilge.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the Senator about DEIS status for Pobal Scoil Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal and scholarships for Gaeltacht students. The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and inspectorate. Second level schools were selected by reference to centrally held data from the post-primary pupils and the State Examinations Commission databases. The identification process was in line with international best practice and had regard to, and employed, the existing and most appropriate data sources available. The school referred to by the Senator was not selected for inclusion in DEIS. A review mechanism was put in place that did not quality for inclusion in the school support programme under DEIS. An appeal by the school to the independent review body confirmed that the level of disadvantage did not warrant its inclusion in the DEIS process. None of the existing schools that was unsuccessful in the initial identification and subsequent review process was ever admitted to the DEIS programme. A key priority for the Department is to prioritise and target resources in schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. That challenge is significant given the economic climate and the target to reduce public expenditure. It also reduces the capacity for any additions to the DEIS programme, including the selection of further schools.
As announced in the 2012 budget, five scholarship schemes for higher education, namely the Easter Week 1916 commemoration scholarship scheme, an scéim scoláireachtaí tríú leibhéal do scoláirí ón nGaeltacht, an scéim scoláireachtaí gaeilge tríú leibhéal neamh-theoranta, an scéim scoláireachtaí tríú leibhéal and the Donogh O'Malley scholarship scheme will be replaced with a new single scheme of bursaries based on merit and financial need. These earlier scholarships, with one exception, were awarded without the application of socio-economic criteria. The new bursaries are specifically designed to target students attending DEIS schools in disadvantaged areas and also indicating a level of personal or family disadvantage by virtue of having qualified for a medical card. The bursary will be an extra support and incentive to recognise high achievement for students from disadvantaged families and attending DEIS schools. The change was made to make the best use of the limited funds we have available for bursaries in order to focus on the best performing students in the cohort of those who are most in need of financial help. It is envisaged that 60 students will receive a bursary this September and the number will rise over each of next three years with more than 350 students per year benefiting by 2015. These changes will not impact on those who already hold scholarships under the existing schemes and the principal financial support made available by the Department of Education and Skills to facilitate access to third level education continues to be the means tested student grant.
Other financial measures to support broader access and participation include the provision of the special rate of maintenance grant for students from welfare dependent families and the availability of the student assistant fund at college level to assist students in particular financial difficulties. From the academic year 2012-13 onwards grants will be centrally administered by a single grant awarding authority, Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, a division of the City of Dublin VEC. SUSI will administer the student grants scheme on behalf of the Department. A new online-only grant application system has also been introduced to facilitate applications.
A final question, Senator Ó Domhnaill.
I appreciate the Minister of State's comments and thank him for his attendance. His response is contradictory when one reads it. On the one hand, the DEIS status is being given to schools on the basis of exam results and was clearly outlined by him. It is not exclusively based on exam results but it is almost. These scholarships are being provided on socio-economic criteria. It should be the other way around. It should be socio-economic qualifying criteria for DEIS. It is the poorest schools that should be in DEIS and not the ones that achieve the best exam results due to their teachers being better. It is disappointing. The people who deserve these scholarships, particularly those with an excellent grasp of the Irish language living inside or outside of a Gaeltacht, should be given the opportunity of availing of grants that were established by Pádraig Pearse in 1916.
I thank the Minister of State for attending.
Will the Acting Chairman allow the Minister of State to respond?
Yes, a final word.
I acknowledge the point made by the Senator but there cannot be a geographical bias for bursaries either. We must have regard for the economic circumstances that we find ourselves in.
Go raibh maith agat.
The Seanad adjourned at 7 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 20 June 2012.