Written Answers Nos. 79 - 86
79. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a student grant application will be expedited in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3545/13]
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 is currently under review and SUSI will notify the student directly of the outcome.
80. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to ensure that exam supervision posts for junior and leaving certificate are not taken up by retired teachers; the number of posts filled in 2012 by teachers in receipt of a pension from his Department, by those working for the Department on a full-time and part-time basis, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3551/13]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
81. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the up to date position regarding a proposed building project in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Cavan; the present stage of this project; when this project is likely to proceed to the next stage; the likely time scale for construction to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3585/13]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. A revised Stage 2a - Developed Sketch Design Report was submitted to my Department in December 2012. This report is currently being considered.
Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it was not possible to include this project in the five year construction programme announced last March.
Schools which have not been included in the five year construction programme, including the one referred to by the Deputy, but which were announced for initial inclusion in the building programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to my Department in future years. The project referred to by the Deputy remains available to be considered for progression in that context.
82. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to narrow the skills gap which occurs as a result of oversupply of graduates in some areas of the labour market and undersupply in other areas; if he can identify the areas in which jobs need to be filled; and if the education system can address these labour needs through training. [3586/13]
View answerThe Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, which is funded by my Department, plays a key role in advising on the current and future skills needs of enterprise. Its research and reports provide a valuable input to programme development by education and training providers and has also informed the development of new competitive funding models of provision to address areas of emerging skills needs.
The Springboard programme targets funding of free part time higher education courses for unemployed people in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages, such as ICT, Medical Devices and Pharmachem. More than 10,000 places have been provided under the two rounds of the programme to date. An expansion of the initiative was announced in Budget 2013 and it is expected that a new call for proposals for courses to be run under the programme will issue in February 2013.
The joint Government-Industry Action Plan, which I launched in January 2012, was developed as a direct response to specific ICT skills shortages. The Plan outlines a range of short, medium and long term measures to develop a sustainable domestic supply of high quality ICT graduates, including through the roll out of over 700 places on graduate skills conversion courses during 2012. Due to very positive initial evaluation and strong industry endorsement a tender for a second phase of the conversion programmes was issued by the HEA in November 2012. Details of the courses selected will be available shortly. In addition, 6,500 training places are currently being rolled out for unemployed people under the Momentum programme. The training, which is aligned up to levels 5 and 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications, is targeted at areas of labour market demand and there is a particular focus on the needs of unemployed people under the age of 25.
83. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow will receive sanction for an extension; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this extension is required as a result of his Department’s request in 2007 that the school increase its capacity; that in excess of 250 students are regularly crowded into substandard pre-fabricated accommodation; that the pre-fabricated accommodation is not in good condition and is proving difficult for the school to maintain; the reason this school extension was not included in the schools building programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3587/13]
View answer84. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow which in June 2011 made a submission to his Department for a building extension, which would include the replacement of the old temporary pre-fabs but they did not feature in the buildings lists released last year; if in view of the conditions, sanction can be given as a matter of urgency for the necessary building works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3612/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together. Information in respect of the current status of all assessed applications for major capital works, including an application from the school referred to by the Deputy is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, which is updated regularly throughout the year. The 5 Year Construction Plan that I announced on 9 March 2012 last, together with my recent announcement of the 50 school projects which are scheduled for construction in 2013 as part of a €2 billion capital investment programme, outlines the major school projects that will commence construction over the duration of the Plan. Details of these projects are also contained on the website. The primary aim at the core of the Five Year Plan is focussed on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of essential additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it was not possible to include the project referred to by the Deputy in the five year construction programme announced. It is noted that enrolments at the school referred to by the Deputy have remained fairly steady over the past number of years. School building projects currently in architectural planning, including those projects not included in the five year programme, will continue to be advanced incrementally over time within the context of the funding available. Projects that are at application stage can only be considered for advancement in the context of the demographic challenges set out above. The Deputy might wish to note that since 2005, under the summer works and emergency works schemes, my Department has provided funding in excess of €882,400 for various improvements to the school building including the replacement of windows, roof repairs, mechanical and heating improvements. Funding in excess of €1.6m towards the provision of a new PE Hall was also provided to the school during the period 2007/2008. This funding is in addition to an extension provided at the school in 1999 comprising specialist rooms and ancillary accommodation which was granted aided by my Department to the equivalent of €1,178,282.
85. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he or his officials met any representatives of the tobacco industry in the last six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3618/13]
View answerI have not met with any representatives of the tobacco industry in the last six months and I understand that my officials have had no such meetings either.
86. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the concept of business ideas generating workshops could be developed in secondary schools in tandem with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, in order to promote creativity and entrepreneurship for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3630/13]
View answerThere are currently a significant number of initiatives which support enterprise in schools including one where there is co-operation with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through the County Enterprise Boards.
In senior cycle students taking the Transition Year option, the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Applied are provided with specific opportunities to acquire enterprise skills. These programmes place a strong focus on active learning, community-based approaches, personal development and teamwork. Students also engage in work experience. In addition, enterprise is part of the Business syllabus in second level schools.
The Sean Lemass Award for Student Enterprise is an annual award which is presented to the top 3 winners from both the Transition Year Mini-company Get up and Go Competition and the County/City Enterprise Board Student Enterprise Competition. In 2012 approximately 5,620 Transition Year students participated in the 'Get up and Go' mini-company Transition Year competition, an additional 4,322 students participated in an Enterprise module/mini-company. Over 15,500 students participated in the Student Enterprise Awards with the majority of the students from Transition Year. This award is open to participants in both of the above initiatives.
The new Framework for Junior Cycle which will be introduced to schools on a phased basis from 2014 also provides opportunities to foster enterprise in schools underpinned by 24 statements of learning. These focus on what students should know, understand, value and be able to do at the end of junior cycle, having fully engaged with and participated in the junior cycle programme of their school.
A number of statements of learning are relevant to enterprise, in particular, the one which provides that students should be able to take initiative, be innovative and develop entrepreneurial skills. All schools will have to ensure that their Junior Cycle programme covers all 24 statements of learning. Under the new programme, schools will be able to develop short courses for Junior Cycle as will other bodies. Schools can choose to offer those short courses which they believe will best meet the needs of their students. It will be open to local businesses to work on the development of short courses with schools in line with the guidelines and templates for short courses developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, if they so wish.
