Written Answers Nos. 312-335
312. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on their application for a student grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1422/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that on the 19th December 2012, a request for further documentation was issued to the student referred to by the Deputy. As soon as the requested documentation is received the student will be notified directly of the outcome.
313. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason children from certain areas in County Donegal are being asked to travel a greater distance to further their education (details supplied) when there is a school closer to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1426/13]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility is determined by measuring the shortest traversable route from a child's home to the relevant education centre.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service.
The route travelled by a school transport service is not a consideration in determining eligibility for school transport.
314. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a reader on behalf of a student (details supplied) in Dublin 11 who is due to sit the leaving certificate in June 2013. [1434/13]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of the above, I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
315. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he intends to commence section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001, making it compulsory for all teachers to be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from State funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1445/13]
View answerMy Department is currently coordinating an implementation process across 34 paymasters and the Teaching Council in preparation for the commencement of Section 30 as soon as is practicable.
The commencement of Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act, 2001 will have a significant impact on those persons who remain in teaching posts but who have been unable to gain registration with the Teaching Council, as the operation of the Section will prohibit payment of these individuals from funds provided by the Oireachtas. It is therefore vital that all technical preparation work has been completed and all persons who are eligible for registration with the Teaching Council are provided a clear opportunity to do so before commencement of the provision as amended in the Education (Amendment) Act, 2012.
Schools as employers, through their management bodies, must also be provided with standardised procedures for treatment of those persons who fail to gain registration with the Teaching Council or who fail to maintain their registration with the Council once Section 30 is commenced. Failure to provide clear and transparent guidelines may result in discrepant treatment of persons impacted by the Section. Consultation with the management bodies in this regard has begun.
I look forward to commencing the provision once the requisite preparation is complete.
316. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools which have contacted his Department regarding the impact of cutbacks on their schools each year between 2006 and 2011; the number of schools which had to cut subjects from their timetables during each of these years and which subjects were cut; if any of these schools have offered those subjects after school hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1476/13]
View answerI fully acknowledge that the reduction in resources to schools will be challenging for schools. However, the change must be seen in the context of the major challenges we have as a Government in trying to shelter public services to the greatest extent that we can in these exceptional times. The net impact on overall teacher numbers in our schools has been minimised to the greatest extent possible. Teacher allocations to schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. In accordance with existing arrangements, where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department considers applications for additional short term support i.e., curricular concessions.
The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities. Accordingly the type of information requested by the Deputy is dealt with at individual school level rather than centrally within my Department.
317. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the way schools are surviving without middle management support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1477/13]
View answerWhen the moratorium was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these continue to be replaced in the normal manner. The impact of the moratorium is therefore limited to the Director of Adult Education, Assistant Principal and Special Duties allowances payable to teachers on promotion. Vacancies at this level arise due to retirements in the specific grades and typically also from the knock on effect of filling Principal and Deputy Principal posts.
The Department has interim alleviation measures in place for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at Assistant Principal level.
318. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the impact of the Croke Park agreement on schools across the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1478/13]
View answerThe Implementation Body published its second review of the Public Service (Croke Park) Agreement on 13 June 2012 which reviewed progress made and savings achieved during the second year of the Agreement. A copy of this review is available on the Implementation Body website www.implementationbody.gov.ie. The first review of the Public Service Agreement was published in June 2011 and is also available on the Implementation Body website. These 2 reviews contain details of the tangible results that have been delivered in both schools and the wider Education sector under the Public Service Agreement.
A revised Action Plan for 2013 for implementation of the Public Service Agreement in the Education Sector has been signed off by the Implementation Body in December 2012 and is available on my Department's website www.education.ie. This contains specific details of the further measures to be implemented in the Education sector and also specific timeframes for the delivery of those measures.
319. Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a student (details supplied) in County Tipperary was approved for a higher education maintenance in November 2012, and was subsequently informed that they do not qualify for the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1527/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that, in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, she was only refused on the 20th December 2012 when the college clarified that the course she is pursing is part-time course. Part-time courses have never been approved for funding under the Student Grant Scheme.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that SUSI has not interpreted the scheme correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the Student Grant Appeals Board.
320. Deputy Ann Phelan asked the Minister for Education and Skills following his recent announcement that an additional €3m is being allocated to the student assistance fund, if he will outline if this is being administered by the Higher Education Authority; if so, the way funding is being allocated per college/university as part of the SAF and the way a college will apply for funding for SAF if their current student assistance fund is being subsidised by fees and not by the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1530/13]
View answerThe Student Assistance Fund is managed by the National Access Office of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of my Department and is funded under the National Development Plan, with assistance from the European Social Fund.
The objective of the Fund is to assist students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. The administration of the allocated fund is devolved to the individual third level institutions.
I approved an additional €3 million for the Fund to supplement the core allocation of €8 million to bring the total available to €11 million in 2012/13. The supplementary funding was approved in response to increased level of financial need among higher education students, based on information gathered by the HEA from 30 participating institutions on increased demands for the Fund in 2012/13.
The supplementary funding was allocated in a targeted way, taking account of the normal allocation model in conjunction with conditions at local level based on data gathered from institutions as part of a monitoring survey on the Fund in 2012/13. A number of factors were taken into account including the institutional estimates of demand and the proportion of the current allocation committed.
Institutions were requested to ensure that the supplementary funding be utilised to assist as many additional students in need as possible.
The supplementary funding was a once-off exceptional measure and the core allocation under the Fund remains at €8 million.
The Fund is expected to assist in the region of 16,000 students in this academic year.
321. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired secondary school teachers who are currently hired as substitutes in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1536/13]
View answerThere were forty six retired teachers employed in a substitute capacity by the managerial authorities of Secondary and Community/Comprehensive schools in the last payroll issue of 2012.
322. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a report on the current difficulties in the operation of Student Universal Support Ireland; when these difficulties will be fully resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1537/13]
View answerAn external review of SUSI's business processes will be put in place in the coming weeks to inform improvements in the system for the 2013/14 academic year. The proposed timeline for completion of the review is March 2013.
324. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the proposed junior certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1542/13]
View answerExtensive quality assurance measures are being built into the new Junior Cycle. These include subject specifications with clear learning outcomes; a comprehensive professional development programme for teachers, principals and deputy principals in educational assessment, including processes of moderation; and the introduction of standardised tests for all schools and students in English reading, Mathematics and Science and in Irish reading for Irish-medium schools; the development of an assessment and moderation toolkit.
In the new scenario, assessment for learning will have a key role and will enhance learning throughout the 3 years of Junior Cycle. It will be complemented by the 2 components of assessment of learning, which will happen towards the end of the Junior Cycle, and be reflected in the School Certificate of Learning. Subjects with their new modes of assessment are being introduced on a phased basis so that capacity in the system can be built up incrementally.
Additional quality assurance measures in relation to assessment of learning at end of junior cycle include the following:- The State Examinations Commission (SEC) will provide final assessment papers and marking schemes for subjects until the new school-based system of assessment is fully established
- For English, Irish and Mathematics, the SEC will initially mark these papers. This arrangement will continue until standardised testing becomes established in junior cycle- For the school work component, schools will undertake internal moderation in accordance with the guidelines on moderation for Junior Cycle assessment which will be formally confirmed by the principal
- The results awarded on every School Certificate of Learning will be sent to the Department. The Department will monitor the national and school patterns along with the results in the standardised testing of reading, Mathematics and Science. This monitoring will provide further quality assurance and identify any local or national anomalies. A report on overall trends will be published regularly. In the event of an unusual pattern of achievement, the Inspectorate of the Department will be advised, and support and evaluation measures will be provided for the school.
In addition, national monitoring of standards will be complemented by continued participation in national and international assessments.
325. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of persons in each university at professor grade, by university, in each of the years 2010, 2011 and 2012; where professors have retired, resigned or otherwise left universities, if they have been replaced and if so, at what grade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1543/13]
View answerThe data sought is unavailable in the format requested by the Deputy. The latest available data in my Department was provided by the universities for the period 1 January, 2011 to end October 2012 as set out in the table attached. My Department has asked the Higher Education Authority to request the required information for 2010 from the Universities and I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available. Data on Retired University Professors (1st January 2011 to end October 2012)
|
University |
Grade |
Number who left since Jan 2011 |
Number who have been replaced |
Level at which replaced |
Number of replacements awaiting approval |
|
NUI Galway |
Professor |
8 |
7 |
Professor |
|
|
Associate Prof |
6 |
6 |
1 Professor, 1 Assoc Prof, 4 Lecturers below the bar*. |
* Below the bar refers to "Junior Lecturer" appointments
|
NUI Maynooth |
Professor |
5 |
0 |
Professor |
5 |
|
Associate Prof |
3 |
0 |
Associate Prof |
3 |
|
Dublin City University |
Professor |
5 |
5 |
5 at Professor |
|
|
Associate Prof |
4 |
3 |
1 at Prof and 2 at Lecturer level |
|
University of Limerick |
Professor |
8 |
1 |
Professor |
5 |
|
Associate Prof |
3 |
0 |
n/a |
0 |
|
University College Dublin |
Professor |
21 |
22* |
Professor |
|
|
Associate Prof |
5 |
5 |
Assoc Prof |
*21 Professors have been replaced and 1 additional Professor has been appointed
|
University College Cork |
Professor |
5 |
4 |
Professor |
|
|
Associate Prof |
5 |
1 |
Professor |
|
Trinity College Dublin |
Professor |
15 |
1 |
Lecturer |
4 |
|
Associate Prof |
6 |
5 |
Lecturer |
1 |
TCD - 3 of the Professors posts and 1 Associate Professor post awaiting replacement are joint appointments with the hospitals and applications are currently with the Consultant Appointment Unit in the HSE.
326. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if additional funding or a subsidy is available within the school transport scheme for a family (details supplied) who do not have the financial means to pay school transport costs; and if he will advise on the assistance available in this regard. [1620/13]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
The annual charge for children who are eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme is €100. This charge is subject to a family maximum of €220 per annum. Eligible children with valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from these charges.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that an application for transport has not been received for the pupils referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied.
327. Deputy Emmet Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a contractor has been appointed to complete a school project (details supplied) in County Kildare; when the contractor will be on site; and the expected completion date for the required work. [1637/13]
View answerTenders for the project to which the Deputy refers, were received in late December and are currently being examined by the Design Team. Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that work will commence on site later this year and will be completed in quarter 2.
328. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person who works in a full time permanent post of caretaker at an Institute of Technology has to retire upon their 65th birthday; if he will remain on in the post and the way they would go about securing this formally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1685/13]
View answerUnder legislation Institutes of Technology are autonomous statutory bodies and my Department has no function in their operational management. The answer to the question posed depends on the person's individual circumstances and contract of employment and would, therefore, be a matter for the Institute as the employer. Accordingly the person concerned should raise the matter directly with the Personnel Office in the Institute in order to clarify their retirement date and any other issues related to their employment contract with the Institute.
329. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the mandatory inclusion of defibrillator equipment in all secondary schools and their facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1696/13]
View answerThe question of whether defibrillator equipment should be mandatory in public places such as schools or other areas is primarily a public health matter and would therefore be a matter for the Department of Health. The consideration of such matters would also need to take account of factors such as cost and training of relevant personnel.
330. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite a student grant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1701/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that on the 10th January 2013, a request for further documentation was issued to the student referred to by the Deputy. As soon as the requested documentation is received, the student will be notified directly of the outcome.
331. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will issue on a student grant application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; if he will expedite the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1703/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a grant and an award letter issued on 8th January 2013.
332. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to recognise Irish sign language as an official language; the efforts he has or will take to ensure that there are sufficient support services and a level and quality of education appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of deaf persons here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1705/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, Section 2 of the Official Languages Act 2003 states that "the official languages" of the State are (a) the Irish language (being the national language and the first official language) and (b) the English language (being a second official language) as specified in Article 8 of the Constitution.
I wish to advise the Deputy that Irish Sign language (ISL) has formal recognition in the Education Act, 1998. Under the Act, it is a function of the Minister for Education and Science (Skills) to ensure, subject to the provisions of the Act, that there is made available to each person resident in the State, including a person with a disability or who has other special educational needs, support services and a level and quality of education appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of that person. This includes provision for students learning through ISL.
A number of initiatives which seek to promote, develop and implement ISL in order that it will achieve greater recognition and use in the education system are currently in place. These include:
- the special schools for the deaf/hearing impaired have been encouraged in relation to the use of sign language in class.
- funding for an ISL weekly home tuition service whereby deaf tutors visit the homes of deaf pre-school children and deaf school-going pupils to provide training in ISL for the deaf children, pupils, their siblings and parents.
- funding is also made available through the Special Education Support Service (SESS) to enable individual teachers and whole school staff to undertake courses in Irish Sign Language which are available throughout the country through a variety of providers.
In addition, the Visiting Teacher Service for Children and Young People with a Hearing Impairment is provided by my Department from the time of referral through to third level education. The Visiting Teacher service provides advice and support to ensure that the needs of children and young people with hearing impairment are met. This service is available at pre-school, primary and post-primary levels. Specifically, the service works in partnership with parents of pre-school children with hearing impairment, visiting their homes and/or meeting them in groups to inform, advise and offer guidance in matters pertaining to their education and overall development and in helping their children to derive maximum benefit from the educational opportunities available. The Deputy may be aware that assessment, rehabilitation and information services for children with hearing impairment and their families are funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE), either directly or indirectly. Services provided include communication therapy and lip-reading classes as well as sign language classes.
My Department, through the Higher Education Authority (HEA), has established and funds a Centre for Deaf Studies in Trinity College, Dublin which provides diploma courses for ISL/English interpreters, deaf tutors and in deaf studies. The course modules deal with issues such as sign linguistics, bilingualism and sociolinguistics of sign language. The course is delivered in seminar sessions/group work and the award of the diploma is based on continued assessment and a project and course design. The HEA has allocated €365,000 in core funding to the Centre in the current academic year.
Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) recently published its Policy Advice on the Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Ireland, which makes a number of recommendations for the improvement of educational provision for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, including recommendations relating to ISL provision. This policy advice is available on the NCSE's website www.ncse.ie. My Department has established a working group which will consider and implement the recommendations of this report in accordance with available resources.
333. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding home tuition in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1713/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for pre-school children with autism.
The Deputy will also be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. In particular, its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) co-ordinates special needs education provision at local level and arranges for the delivery of special educational services. The SENOs act as single points of contact for parents of students with special educational needs. A specific function of the SENO is to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. SENOs are a valuable source of support to parents who are actively sourcing a placement for their children.
All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents can contact SENOs directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
An application for home tuition on behalf of the child referred to by the Deputy was refused as he does not meet the eligibility criteria. The NCSE confirmed to my Department that there is a placement available for him in a special class for children with autism.
334. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills If he will assist with the cooperative initiative by both St. Michael's College and the Presentation Secondary School, Listowel, County Kerry which is in compliance with his Department's Directive, these schools are 2.5km apart and the imposition of full transport costs on the students and their families would be detrimental to the progress of this scheme and based on and information (details supplied) if he will examine this viable proposition with a view to subsidising the ongoing costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1725/13]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service.
There is no provision within the terms of the School Transport Scheme to provide funding for the transport services outlined by the Deputy in the details supplied.
335. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 260 of 18 December 2012, the reason the special education unit at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare was not equipped in any way at the time of opening and the reason, to date, only limited funding has been approved by his Department to enable the partial equipping of the unit; if the situation at the school will be addressed as a matter of urgency; if he will indicate with certainty that, in terms of equipment/furnishing, all special education units in PPP delivered post primary schools have been facilitated in a consistent manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1740/13]
View answerThe Special Education Unit (SNU) at the school referred to by the Deputy was not equipped at the time of construction as the type of unit to be established in the school was not known at that time. The school in question has been allocated funding of €6,500 for one special class plus €7,000 to purchase equipment for the schools Multi-Sensory Room. This level of funding is in accordance with the Department's current guidelines for funding SNUs and is provided to all primary and post-primary schools irrespective of the delivery method used. In addition, grant aid is available to all schools to fund the purchase of special items of furniture for special needs pupils. The scheme applies to all children who are diagnosed as having special needs. Schools must apply directly to the Department and their applications must be supported by a report from a professional who assessed the pupil. Only furniture approved by the Department will be funded.
