Written Answers Nos. 110-119
110. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has yet replied to correspondence from a school (details supplied) in County Kerry in relation to the withdrawal of a prefab grant and if not, when a reply will issue. [10846/13]
View answerI can confirm that a review of the temporary accommodation at the above school took place in July 2012 as per standard practice when the rental contract was due to expire. My Department advised the school at that time that rental grant aid would continue to be approved until June 2013.
Correspondence on the matter has been received recently from the school. My Department will be in direct contact with the school authority shortly in the matter.
111. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify that students who have previously completed a postgraduate course and who are now returning to college to undertake an undergraduate course (details supplied) in a new discipline are eligible for higher education grant funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10863/13]
View answerTo satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.
The objective of this policy is to help as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study. Given the level of demand on the student grant budget from first time students and students that are progressing with their studies to a higher level, there are no plans at present to change the arrangements in place.
In the scenario presented by the Deputy, a student who already holds a Masters qualification and intends to pursue a undergraduate degree at a lower level is not considered to be progressing and cannot be considered for funding, regardless of whether grant aid was made available to pursue the previous qualification.
However, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners.
113. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of the members or former members of the Judiciary who, during the past five years, have acted as chairperson or member of any body in or under his Department, or as chairperson or member of any inquiry, or have performed functions including arbitration, mediation, conciliation, patronage, advisory or law reform functions or any other role in or in any body under his Department or in any body wholly or partly funded by him, specifying in each case the name of the judge; if he or she is serving or retired; the court of which he or she is or was a member; the role or function performed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10878/13]
View answerFor the Deputy's information, Mr Justice Esmond Smyth serves as Chairperson of the Residential Institutions Redress Board. He retired as President of the Circuit Court in February 2012 but continues as Chairperson of the Board.
Mr Justice Francis D Murphy, retired judge of the Supreme Court, serves as the Chairperson of the Residential Institutions Review Committee. In addition, Judge John F Buckley, retired Circuit Court judge, serves as a Committee member.
Mr Justice Seán Ryan is a serving High Court judge and is Chairperson of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.
Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness, retired Supreme Court judge, served as a Director of the Irish Universities Quality Board from 2006 to 2012 until its functions were transferred to Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). Ms Justice McGuinness served as chairperson and was a member of the interim board of Quality and Qualifications Ireland prior its formal establishment in November 2012.
114. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of posts of responsibility by grade lost in primary schools each year since the imposition of the moratorium on promotion in the public service; the number of applications for alleviation received by his Department in each year and the number of applications upheld by his Department in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10892/13]
View answerWhen the moratorium on the filling of posts of responsibility was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these posts 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 posts of responsibility. 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.
Limited alleviation was introduced for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at Assistant Principal level. This alleviation is mainly focused on post-primary schools. The detailed information requested by the Deputy would take some time to compile by staff in my Department. I do not therefore propose to divert them from their work on the staffing allocations for the 2013/14 school year. I have already provided summary information to the Deputy on the overall impact of the moratorium since it was first introduced in March 2009. At that time about 53% of teachers had posts of responsibility. This has since reduced to about 39%. The tables give some more detail on the overall position since the moratorium was introduced.
Level of Reduction in Posts of Responsibility
|
Post type |
Post Primary |
Primary |
|
Assistant Principal |
-2,150 |
-751 |
|
Special Duties |
-1,900 |
-2,276 |
|
Total |
-4,050 |
-3,027 |
Alleviation
|
Post type |
Post Primary |
Primary |
|
Director of Adult Education |
30 |
N/A |
|
Programme Co-ordinator (AP post) |
90 |
N/A |
|
Assistant Principal |
307 |
38 |
|
Total |
427 |
38 |
115. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total expenditure in 2012 on the capital programme at primary level in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10893/13]
View answerThe total capital expenditure on the primary sector in 2012 was just over €204 million.
116. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the most likely primary school available to meet the educational needs of the children of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10930/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes the allocation of resource teaching hours to schools as well as the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required and the discontinuation of such classes where the need no longer exists. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such supports.
Another 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.
It is open to parents to contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
117. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding proposed cuts to public sector pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10756/13]
View answer118. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding pay cuts in public sector pay. [10760/13]
View answer119. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding public sector pay and conditions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10854/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 117 to 119, inclusive, together.
Discussions have taken place between public service employers and the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions regarding the Government’s stated intention to reach agreement on securing the required overall savings from the public service pay and pensions bill by 2015. Following intensive engagement in recent days between the parties, which was facilitated by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), the LRC has developed and recommended a set of proposals for consideration and agreement. Public servants will be able to consider the full set of proposals by the LRC which have been published and the public service staff representatives who remained in negotiations have indicated that these proposals will be subject to ballot by members.
Both the Government and I are acutely aware of the very significant contributions made to date by all public servants by way of pay reductions, imposition of the pension related deduction, non payment of pay increases and the significant productivity arising over recent years facilitated by the Public Service Agreement. Regrettably, the scale of the fiscal crisis inherited by the current Government and the absolute requirement to address and reduce the current deficit of 8% to less than 3% in 2015, requires a further contribution of €1bn from the public service pay and pensions bill which accounts for some 35% of current expenditure. Undoubtedly the impact of the proposals made by the Labour Relations Commission will add to the financial pressures on public servants who also carry the burden of increased taxes which apply to all workers, but they represent a balanced set of proposals to secure the savings required by the Exchequer while ameliorating the impacts on public service staff particularly those on low and middle incomes to the greatest extent possible.
