Written Answers Nos.69-76
69. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding progress in securing additional financial contributions from religious congregations towards redress for survivors of residential child abuse; the amount of additional funding that has been sought; if the congregations have responded positively in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7475/13]
View answerThe cost of the response to residential institutional child abuse is now estimated to be in the region of €1.47 billion. The Government remains of the view that this cost should be shared on a 50:50 basis, between the State and those who were responsible for the management of institutions where horrendous abuse took place.
Following the disappointing response from the congregations to augment their contributions under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, following the publication of the Ryan Report, I proposed the transfer of school infrastructure to the State at no cost to the Exchequer for the benefit of the taxpayer as one mechanism to allow those involved the opportunity to shoulder their share of the costs.
I have continued to engage with the Congregations to seek a greater contribution from them and I intend to update my Cabinet colleagues in relation to the progress on the negotiations to date.
70. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the number of third level grants that remain to be processed; if he will provide detail in tabular form of the grants still to be processed by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7531/13]
View answer85. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he has taken to address the delays in the processing of student grant applications, the number of student grant applications that have been received by Student Universal Support Ireland; the number that have been processed, awarded, refused, awaiting decisions to date, the number of applications that were received from County Kerry and the number of these that were processed, received, refused, awarded, awaiting a decision to date; if he will reassure all applications and their families, that all fully completed applications will be processed at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7710/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 85 together. I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that grants processing is largely up to date and that complete applications are now being dealt with as the requested documentation comes in. The following table provides a breakdown of the processing position of student grant applications received by SUSI on a county basis. The data provided is at a point in time on the 13 February, 2013. It gives the position for student grant applications for attendance at both further and higher education. It includes data in relation to applications received from County Kerry. This data has been provided to my Department by SUSI. SUSI is continuing to make payments on a weekly basis to ensure students can get paid their grant as expeditiously as possible, once they have been awarded a grant. Those awarded a grant must supply bank account details and confirmation of registration must be received from the institution in order for the first instalment to be paid.
Some students have still not provided any of the necessary supporting documentation to enable their grant applications to be progressed to finality while others have provided some, but not all, of this documentation. This is similar to the position in previous years. SUSI is currently offering those students that still wish to proceed with their grant applications a final opportunity to submit the documentation that has been requested before SUSI close their applications.
SUSI Applications - Processing Position by County
|
County |
Total applications received |
Incomplete Applications |
Applications where all requested documentation submitted |
Awarded |
Refused or Cancelled |
Applications currently with SUSI for processing |
Maintenance Payments |
|
Carlow |
1012 |
202 |
810 |
550 |
255 |
5 |
359 |
|
Cavan |
1367 |
277 |
1090 |
730 |
350 |
10 |
561 |
|
Clare |
1846 |
395 |
1451 |
989 |
438 |
24 |
697 |
|
Cork |
7129 |
1620 |
5509 |
3552 |
1908 |
49 |
2393 |
|
Donegal |
2978 |
596 |
2382 |
1667 |
683 |
32 |
1146 |
|
Dublin |
14818 |
3863 |
10955 |
6338 |
4481 |
136 |
4135 |
|
Galway |
4566 |
1004 |
3562 |
2418 |
1113 |
31 |
1558 |
|
Kerry |
2551 |
508 |
2043 |
1386 |
643 |
14 |
937 |
|
Kildare |
2813 |
625 |
2188 |
1325 |
846 |
17 |
916 |
|
Kilkenny |
1435 |
299 |
1136 |
752 |
376 |
8 |
518 |
|
Laois |
1108 |
247 |
861 |
585 |
267 |
9 |
427 |
|
Leitrim |
658 |
145 |
513 |
349 |
160 |
4 |
252 |
|
Limerick |
2962 |
726 |
2236 |
1510 |
704 |
22 |
952 |
|
Longford |
779 |
158 |
621 |
413 |
206 |
2 |
291 |
|
Louth |
2224 |
487 |
1737 |
1131 |
588 |
18 |
778 |
|
Mayo |
2576 |
545 |
2031 |
1413 |
601 |
17 |
1007 |
|
Meath |
2528 |
569 |
1959 |
1247 |
694 |
18 |
908 |
|
Monaghan |
1147 |
238 |
909 |
622 |
281 |
6 |
467 |
|
Offaly |
1266 |
234 |
1032 |
691 |
328 |
13 |
491 |
|
Roscommon |
1222 |
239 |
983 |
674 |
302 |
7 |
470 |
|
Sligo |
1267 |
308 |
959 |
640 |
312 |
7 |
424 |
|
Tipperary |
2723 |
562 |
2161 |
1454 |
697 |
10 |
998 |
|
Waterford |
1970 |
413 |
1557 |
983 |
567 |
7 |
631 |
|
Westmeath |
1718 |
339 |
1379 |
905 |
456 |
18 |
647 |
|
Wexford |
2405 |
465 |
1940 |
1328 |
603 |
9 |
953 |
|
Wicklow |
2013 |
411 |
1602 |
1015 |
576 |
11 |
737 |
|
Outside Ireland |
279 |
104 |
175 |
42 |
127 |
6 |
18 |
|
Totals |
69,360 |
15,579 |
53,781* |
34,709** |
18,562 |
510# |
23,671## |
*Of these in the case of some 53,271 applications processing has been completed (awarded, provisionally awarded or refused).
** This figure includes some 1,049 provisionally awarded awaiting final course acceptance and some 6,833 students awarded a "fees only grant".
# This figure includes some 103 late applications awaiting provisional assessment.
## The total number awarded and due to be paid a maintenance grant by SUSI is some 3,156 students. The majority of these students currently awaiting payment will be paid within the next two weeks, depending on their submission of bank account details. A number of students will be paid on Friday 15th February 2013.
71. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that the July provision programme will be offered to pupils this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7587/13]
View answerParticipation in my Department's July Provision Scheme is an option for all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism or severe to profound general learning disability that choose to extend their education services through the month of July.
All qualifying schools will be informed of arrangements pertaining to the scheme for 2013 once they are finalised.
72. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify if a person (details supplied) has been awarded their Student Universal Support Ireland grant appeal, as it is unclear on the basis of two conflicting and upsetting communications this Deputy has received from SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7592/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland that the grant award letter that issued on the 28th January 2013 to the student referred to by the Deputy was sent in error.
The Deputy will appreciate that in the context of SUSI having received in excess of 67,000 applications that some errors may inevitably arise when handling a high volume of applications within a relatively short timeframe.
SUSI have confirmed that on review the grant has been refused and a letter outlining the position issued on the 8th February, 2013. 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 the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
73. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of grants to former residents of institutions and their relatives to assist them in availing of educational services that have been paid under the criteria for awarding grants by the Education Finance Board; the number of such applications that have been received; the number that have been decided on; the average payment in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7605/13]
View answerFrom enquiries made with the Education Finance Board, I understand that the Board approved 1,124 grants during 2012. The corresponding figures for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 were 892, 1200, 1526, 1914, 1901 and 2108 respectively. Since 2006 a total of 10,665 grants have been approved from 11,392 applications, with the remaining 727 being unsuccessful or withdrawn.
The Board indicated in November 2011 that it expected that the funds available to it would be fully allocated on applications already received and accordingly it publicised that it would not be in a position to process any applications received after 30th November, 2011. The Board has advised that its criteria specified the maximum amounts of awards payable in individual circumstances and that it does not calculate average grant payments.
74. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made to date on the drafting of the education (admission to school) Bill; when he expects heads to be approved and for the Bill to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7606/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that in 2011, I launched a discussion paper on school enrolment. The "Discussion Paper on a Regulatory Framework for School Enrolment" contains suggestions on how to make the process of enrolling in schools more open, equitable and consistent and is available on my Department's website.
I also invited education partners and interested parties to submit their views to my Department. The feedback from this consultation will help inform the nature and scope of a new regulatory framework for school enrolment. I intend to bring legislative proposals to Government this year, the primary aim of which will be to ensure that every child is treated fairly and that every child has a place at school.
75. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a special education needs organiser who was assigned to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 in view of the fact that this person is currently on extended leave; the efforts that have been made to find a replacement or a referral to assist this person; if he will expedite this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7612/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent agency which, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, in accordance with my Department's established criteria.
As the issue raised by the Deputy is an operational matter which relates to internal NCSE staffing arrangements, I have arranged for the this question to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
76. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to promote volunteerism and collective activities outside school hours in view of the fact that all the evidence shows that involvement in these activities improves confidence and academic achievements. [7621/13]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that there is already a very strong tradition of our teachers contributing generously to the many out of school activities organised by their schools. This is one of the strengths of our education system and this involvement contributes greatly to the breadth and experience of the education given to our children. This work includes building links with local youth and sports organisations at local level.
This valuable work was highlighted most recently in the context of the Action Plan on Bullying which I launched with my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald on the 29th January last.
The Deputy may also be aware that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs supports and promotes non-formal education and developmental opportunities for young people through the Youth Work Sector. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs also oversees the implementation of the National Play and National Recreation Policies by Local Authorities.
