Written Answers Nos. 225-234
225. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a Student Universal Support Ireland grant will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56580/12]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority, that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy has already been awarded a grant and an award letter issued on 14th December 2012.
226. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Charlie McConalogue den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an dtuigeann sé an baol a bhaineann leis an gComhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, COGG, a lonnú san fhoirgneamh céanna leis an gComhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta, CNCM, mar ós fíric idirnáisiúnta í go dtéann mórtheanga i bhfeidhm ar mhionteanga agus ós rud é go mbeidh i bhfad Éireann níos mó daoine ag obair le CNCM tá an-bhaol ann do theanga oibre COGG; ag breathnú siar anois air, an fearr an cinneadh maidir le CNCM agus COGG a lonnú le chéile a fhreaschur; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [56596/12]
View answer227. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Charlie McConalogue den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an mbeidh sé de dhualgas ar fhoireann na Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, COGG, níos mó Béarla a úsáid ina gcuid oibre de thoradh an chinnidh a rinne sé COGG a chur faoi choimirce na Comhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta; ag breathnú siar anois air, an fearr an cinneadh sin a fhreaschur; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [56597/12]
View answerTá sé de rún agam Ceisteanna Uimh. 226 and 227 a fhreagairt le chéile. Bheinn ag súil le COGG a bheith ag cur a chuid feidhmeanna reachtúla i gcrích i gcónaí de réir mar a bhaineann leis an nGaeilge, trí Ghaeilge, agus ag déanamh cumarsáide leis an bpobal sa chaoi chéanna is a ndéanann siad faoi láthair.
228. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of the €25 million in cash reserves in the third level institutions which he identified as part of his savings of €90 million in his Departments budget for 2013; if he will include and breakdown by institution if possible of these reserves; if there are further cash reserves in the third level sector over and above the €25 million he has identified in his Budget 2013 figures. [56623/12]
View answerA Comptroller and Auditor General special report on a variety of matters arising from recent audits of financial statements of higher education institutions was published earlier this year. The report noted that universities and Institutes of Technology (IOTs) had cash balances of €706 million at the end of the 2010/11 academic year. When account is taken of restricted reserves and other capital funding requirements, and pension reserves, the cash balance for recurrent purposes was €568 million which also included private sources of income.
This matter has been discussed in detail by my Department with the Higher Education Authority (HEA). I am seeking more prudent management of existing cash balances by the Higher Education Institutions by reducing their allocation in 2013 on a one off basis by €25 million. I have requested the HEA to ensure this measure will not impact on frontline student services. The breakdown of the €25 million by institution has not been determined as yet. This will be a matter for the HEA as it allocates the recurrent grant over the coming year.
229. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of the €13 million in cash reserves in the vocational education committee sector which he identified as part of his savings of €90 million in his Departments budget for 2013 and to include a breakdown by vocational education committee if possible of these reserves; if there are further cash reserves in the VEC sector over and above the €13 million he has identified in his Budget 2013 figures. [56624/12]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, my decision to reduce the VEC allocation for 2013 took account of the capacity of VECs to utilise cash balances on a once off basis. The balance in each VEC will be taken into consideration when the individual budget for each VEC is determined in the New Year.
Details of the deposit balances in each VEC as of 30th September 2012, the most recent date for which information is available, are here for the information of the Deputy. The balances do not take into account any financial liabilities which were held by the VECs on that date.
VEC Deposit Balances as of 30th September 2012 (Ref PQ 56624 18-12-12)
|
VEC |
Balance on Deposit |
|
City of Cork |
€9,766,659.00 |
|
City of Dublin |
€59,000,000.00 |
|
City of Limerick |
€635,184.00 |
|
City of Waterford |
€2,400,000.00 |
|
Dun Laoghaire |
€4,009,590.00 |
|
City of Galway |
€4,668,714.00 |
|
Co Carlow |
€2,925,123.00 |
|
Co Cavan |
€2,000,000.00 |
|
Co Clare |
€3,129,745.00 |
|
Co Cork |
€11,776,611.00 |
|
Co Donegal |
€8,500,000.00 |
|
Co Dublin |
€16,869,609.00 |
|
Co Galway |
€4,668,714.00 |
|
Co Kerry |
€5,000,000.00 |
|
Co Kildare |
€6,213,593.00 |
|
Co Kilkenny |
€4,323,159.00 |
|
Co Laois |
€2,088,725.00 |
|
Co Leitrim |
€250,000.00 |
|
Co Limerick |
€5,144,118.00 |
|
Co Longford |
€1,956,232.00 |
|
Co Louth |
€5,280,145.28 |
|
Co Mayo |
€6,534,526.00 |
|
Co Meath |
€5,249,930.00 |
|
Co Monaghan |
€5,273,041.00 |
|
Co Offaly |
€2,843,318.69 |
|
Co Roscommon |
€2,500,782.00 |
|
Co Sligo |
€3,280,293.00 |
|
Co Tipperary (NR) |
€4,566,512.00 |
|
Co Tipperary (SR) |
€3,304,622.00 |
|
Co Waterford |
€2,327,359.00 |
|
Co Westmeath |
€3,140,776.09 |
|
Co Wexford |
€4,563,650.00 |
|
Co Wicklow |
€7,636,040.00 |
|
Total |
€211,826,771 |
230. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a student application grant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56626/12]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority, that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy her application is currently being assessed and a letter will issue shortly directly to the student outlining the position when a decision is made.
231. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide information on the availability of emergency funds for primary schools who are under severe financial pressure at present and cannot maintain basic day to day costs; if there is a mechanism to assist such schools; and if so, the way schools can access same. [56638/12]
View answerThe running costs of primary schools are discharged by making funds available through my Department's capitation grant scheme. Given the scale of our economic crisis, I have no scope to introduce new or additional funding measures to assist primary schools, such as that referred to by the Deputy.
232. Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on an application for additional accommodation by a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56641/12]
View answerI wish to confirm that my Department has approved funding to the school referred to by the Deputy to provide a new mainstream classroom. The school has since applied for additional funding towards this project. This application is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process has been completed.
233. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has ensured that all schools being constructed under public private partnership proposals will have inbuilt wifi and CCTV as part of their development. [56655/12]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that all schools being constructed under my Department's Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme are provided with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure in compliance with my Department's prevailing ICT guidelines. While it is not currently my Department's policy to supply wi-fi network to schools, they are however provided with broadband connectivity. In fact, my Department is in the process of rolling out a high-speed 100Mbit/s broadband connection to all post primary schools nationwide.
In relation to the provision of CCTV to schools, the general security of school communities is one of the issues considered in the architectural design of new school buildings and major extensions including schools being developed under PPP programmes. In this regard, PPP schools are provided with targeted external CCTV for security purposes. In general it is open to schools to fund and manage the installation of CCTV having regard to the Data Protection Acts which requires, inter alia, that its use is proportionate and for specific purposes.
234. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce a capital assets test for means testing eligibility for third level student maintenance grants; the budget savings, if any, he has factored into his 2013 budget figures from any measures he may plan to introduce. [56665/12]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that, following agreement in principle by the Government to broaden the current means testing arrangements for student grants by way of inclusion of the value of capital assets, I set up a dedicated implementation group to bring forward detailed proposals for implementation in 2013.
I have received a draft report from the implementation group. This is currently under consideration and I will be consulting further with my cabinet colleagues in the coming weeks. The budgetary implications arising will be considered following such consultation.
