Written Answers Nos. 85 - 93
85. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance the number of applications that were made in 2012 under the foreign earnings deduction scheme; the numbers that were successfully approved; the total amount of relief granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12011/13]
View answerSection 823A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for the Foreign Earnings Deduction. This section was introduced in Finance Act 2012 and provides a limited tax deduction for individuals who carry out part of the duties of their office or employment in Brazil, Russia, India, China or South Africa. As 2012 was the first year of its operation, and given that many individuals do not claim some of their entitlements until after the end of a tax year, reliable statistics on the number of claims made in respect of the 2012 tax year will not be available until later this year.
86. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if college lecturers retiring when the teaching year ends in June but for whom official retirement is the start of the new term in September will be exempt from the loss of pension and lump sum in view of the fact that they are technically finished work before the Croke Park II measures come into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11743/13]
View answerThe Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform has decided that public servants who retire before the end of August 2014 will have their pension and lump sum calculated by reference to the current pay rates, i.e. the rates before the pay reductions which will apply from 1st July 2013.
87. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to replace prefabricated classes with a permanent structure at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 16; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11712/13]
View answerMy Department has no record of having received an application from the school referred to by the Deputy for the replacement of prefabricated accommodation. The school concerned was approved funding in April 2012 under the Pre-Fab Replacement Scheme to replace a rented prefab and I understand that construction is well advanced. In addition, my Department provided funding of €250,576 to the school in December 2008 to replace two prefabs reported to be in poor condition. It would be expected that these replacement prefabs would be in good condition. Given the current financial constraints within which my Department is operating, priority is being given to applications from schools for essential mainstream classroom accommodation. In this regard, the delivery of new schools, together with extension projects to meet the demographic demand, will be the main focus for capital investment in schools in the coming years.
88. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the time taken to process appeals upheld by Student Universal Support Ireland; his views on whether this time is efficient in view of the length of time students are already waiting for their grants to be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11810/13]
View answer89. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the process involved in finalising an appeal upheld by Student Universal Support Ireland; and if he will provide detail on the timeframes involved for each process. [11811/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 89 together.
Where an appeal is upheld i.e. the original decision was overturned, it is understood from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that it is currently taking 12 working days to re-process it. The process involved in finalising an appeal upheld by SUSI is that these cases are referred in date order to an assessment team to be reviewed. The time taken to review and/or re-assess an application may differ from case to case, depending on whether a full re-assessment is necessary or not. In some cases information may need to be obtained from the applicant to make a final determination. The time taken to pay an applicant whose appeal has resulted in an award or change of level of award depends on whether a person was already in receipt of a maintenance grant or not from SUSI.
90. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay in reassessing an appeal which was upheld on 5 February 2013 in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; the reason Student Universal Support Ireland are advising that appeals upheld by them are generally taking two weeks to process when clearly this is not so; the reason SUSI have advised the applicant that this process may take another four weeks before their grant is processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11822/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, her student grant application was appealed to the appeals officer in SUSI and the original decision was overturned. The student's application was reassessed and on the 28th February 2013, a revised award letter issued to the student.
91. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding streams available through his Department to local clubs or local schools for the provision of new pitches and sports facilities in schools for use by pupils and the wider community. [11824/13]
View answer104. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding streams available through his Department to local clubs or local schools for the provision of new pitches and sports facilities in schools for use by pupils and the wider community. [11882/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 104 together.
I understand that the Deputy's office has confirmed that the question relates to the funding streams that are available to local schools for the facilities in question. The Physical Education curriculum has been designed on the basis that facilities in schools may vary. Many primary schools have a general purpose room and practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are used for teaching different aspects of the P.E. programme. A similar situation with sports halls and outdoor facilities applies at second level. In addition, many schools use adjacent local facilities, including public parks, playing fields and swimming pools.
My Department's design guidelines for schools include guidance in the provision of P.E. Halls, general purpose rooms and outdoor hard play areas such as basketball courts. Other P.E. facilities e.g. pitches are provided, where appropriate and in the context of available resources, as part of the Department's school building programme. The provision of playing pitches is not part of the specification for primary schools. However, in certain circumstances and where the site conditions allow, the project scope may include the levelling and grassing of an area which schools may decide to use for playing fields. At post primary level, an area may be developed as a practice playing field where site conditions and resources permit.
In the context of my Department's co-operation with local authorities in identifying suitable sites for schools, the location of sporting facilities is one factor taken into account in locating schools. The Deputy may be aware of my Department's role in developing shared community facilities in the Fingal County Council area, which has made facilities available to the wider community on a shared basis with the school.
Given the current financial constraints within which my Department is operating, priority is being given to applications from schools for essential mainstream classroom accommodation. In this regard, my Department is not in a position to consider applications from schools for funding towards pitches or sports facilities outside of the context of school projects on the building programme. My Department will however continue to provide general purpose rooms, PE Halls and outdoor play areas in schools where new schools are being provided within the context of available funding. It is open to local communities to liaise directly with schools regarding the potential use of school facilities after school hours.
92. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected enrolment in primary schools in County Kerry for 2013, 2014 and 2015; the percentage increase or decrease in the projected enrolments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11839/13]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the data sought by him is not readily available. I will arrange to have the data collated and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
93. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected enrolment in primary schools in Tralee, County Kerry for 2013, 2014 and 2015; the percentage increase or decrease in the projected enrolments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11840/13]
View answerThe overall enrolment in primary schools in the Tralee feeder area in 2011 was 4,056 pupils and the projected overall enrolment for 2015 is 3,938 pupils. This represents a slight decrease of 3%.
