Written Answers Nos. 227-243
228. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Finance if an alternative mechanism to filling VAT returns online is available to facilitate persons who are not computer literate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15340/13]
View answerThe legislation underpinning mandatory e-filing-paying was introduced in 2008 on a phased basis, commencing with large companies, and extending to Government Departments, Public Bodies, all other companies and certain self-assessed individuals. Businesses and self-assessed individuals within certain categories must meet their tax filing and paying obligations using the Revenue On-Line Service, ROS. However, the legislation does allow Revenue to exclude a taxpayer from their obligation to pay and file electronically, if Revenue is satisfied that the taxpayer does not have the capacity to do so. In this regard, “capacity” means sufficient access to the Internet, and in the case of an individual, also means not prevented by reason of age, or mental or physical infirmity from e-filing or e-paying.
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that taxpayers who wish to apply for exclusion can do so to their local Revenue office. Where exclusions are granted taxpayers can continue to meet their Revenue obligations through the submission of paper returns.
Taxpayers who do not qualify for exclusion from mandatory e-filing/e-paying can avail of assistance which Revenue provides to all new ROS users. The ROS Helpdesk provides informed guidance and assistance to all ROS users on technical difficulties. The nationwide network of ROS Liaison Officers are also available to provide assistance to customers using the service. A free tutorial offering instruction on filing returns, paying liabilities and using ROS can be provided on request. This approach ensures that all new ROS users become accustomed to and confident in using the service.
229. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance when an application for single parent tax allowance will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [15360/13]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that there has been protracted correspondence regarding the validity of the claim for the single parent tax credit by the person in question. I am further advised that the latest submission in support of the claim was received from the individual on 14th March 2013. This correspondence will be examined by the Revenue Commissioners within the next two working days.
230. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of the annual saving to the public sector pay bill in non-commercial State agency pay were capped at €100,000. [15967/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy could not be collated in the time available. My Department will respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
231. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an appeal for a grant for Student Universal Support Ireland in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [14810/13]
View answerAn appeal from the student in question was considered by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board on the 5th March 2013. I understand that the appeal was unsuccessful and that the Appeals Board upheld the decision of the appeals officer and the awarding authority.
The student was notified of the outcome on 5th March 2013. Information in respect of a change of circumstances was subsequently received in my Department from the student on the 12th March 2013. This information was forwarded to the grant awarding authority which commenced a review of the application. On foot of this review, further documentation was requested from the student on 19 March 2013. When this is received and examined, the student will be notified directly of the outcome.
232. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of costs incurred by his Department by the categories of technical, legal, financial and other services for cancelled public private partnership projects for the years 2011 and 2012. [14692/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is in the process of being updated in consultation with the NDFA and will be forwarded to him in the next few days.
233. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the financial support provided to a family (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14722/13]
View answerIt would appear from the details supplied by the Deputy that the first named student is a second level pupil. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the second named student has had his grant application reviewed and a revised award letter issued on 4th March 2013.
The grant application for the third named student is currently being reassessed and the student will be notified directly of the outcome as soon as possible.
234. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that those who started teaching prior to 1 February 2012 will not be considered as new entrants for the purposes of the new pay scales, even if the had not qualified by that date, in line with previous commitments made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14766/13]
View answer236. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the implications for substitute teachers arising from recent circulars issued by his Department that stated any work conducted prior to 2011 must have been in a qualified capacity and teachers must have been registered with the Teaching Council during that time; if this change will mean teachers paid under the old guidelines have their pay reassessed retrospectively; and the estimated savings as a result of this change in the payment guidelines. [14770/13]
View answer263. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Skills with reference to a recent missive issued by his Department to secondary school teachers, if he will explain the reason work that was conducted by teachers prior to 2011 must have been conducted by qualified teachers who were registered with the Teaching Council; if he will outline the incentives that his Department is putting in place for newly qualified teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15130/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 234, 236 and 263 together. In replying to these questions I think it would be useful if I set out the sequence of policy and budgetary measures in relation to new appointees to teaching and their pay entitlements.
The first measure took effect on 1 September 2010. It requires that, in order to be eligible to receive the qualified rate of pay and allowances, a person on their first appointment to teaching must be registered with the Teaching Council and appropriately qualified for that position or sector. This was introduced for the purpose of ensuring quality and promoting professional standards in teaching and this goal has been strongly supported by the teacher unions.
The second measure was taken as part of Budget 2011. The last Government applied a reduction in the pay of new entrants to the public service. In the case of new teachers, a reduction of 10% was applied to pay and certain allowances and all new teachers were required to start on the first point of the scale rather than the third point as had previously been the case for most teachers. The new pay rates applied to all teachers who were new appointees appointed on or after 1 January 2011. Where a person gave any service - qualified or unqualified - in an analogous teaching position before 1 January 2011, he or she was not regarded as a new appointee to teaching and so was not affected by this measure.
The third measure formed part of Budget 2012 and related to qualification allowances. The Government announced that additional qualification allowances would not be payable to existing teachers and new teachers would be paid qualification allowances up to a maximum of the allowance applicable to an honours primary degree level.
Furthermore, in 2012 a public service-wide review of allowances was also carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and, pending its outcome, the payment of qualification allowances was suspended with effect from 1 February 2012. As a result of the review, the Government abolished qualification allowances with effect from that date and a new salary scale was created with a starting point equivalent to the fourth point of the previous scale. This reduced the impact of the ending of the qualification allowances and ensured a broad consistency across the public service.
The introduction of this new salary scale has been a complex task which has required a detailed implementation process. My Department, in consultation with VECs, is working through the operational aspects of these changes as they affect existing teachers and their pay. It is also worth noting that the recent proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission on an extension to the Croke Park Agreement include a proposal that would address the imbalance between those who entered the teaching profession since 2011 and those who entered before that date. These proposals are currently being considered by the membership of the public service trade unions at this time.
235. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to address the situation where some Student Universal Support Ireland applicants are incorrectly informed they have been awarded a grant before receiving a further letter confirming the contrary; his views on such situations; the way in which assistance can be given to students who have relied on such letters of award; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14768/13]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that in the context of Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) having received in excess of 69,000 applications that some errors may inevitably arise when handling a high volume of applications within a relatively short timeframe. While every effort is made by SUSI to ensure that applicants are processed correctly, SUSI accepts that, following its quality assurance procedures, it emerged that a number of applicants received an incorrect letter and it regrets any inconvenience caused.
An external review of SUSI's business processes is currently being undertaken to inform improvements in the system for the 2013/14 academic year. The proposed timeline for completion of the review is later this month. Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies.
Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended. The Access Officers themselves will also continue to provide support and advice to students to enable them to continue with their studies.
237. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason no design team has been appointed to ensure the construction of a school (details supplied) in 2014. [14775/13]
View answer256. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the design team for a school (details supplied) will be appointed and the stage of the project to build the school. [14992/13]
View answer265. Deputy Michael Conaghan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made on the construction of a new building at Griffith College MDNS. [15133/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 237, 256 and 265 together.
The school project referred to by the Deputies is included in the 5 year capital programme and is scheduled to progress to construction in 2014/15. The OPW had agreed to deliver a number of schools including the school referred to by the Deputy and the process of consultation with the relevant stakeholders on the timeframe for the delivery of these schools will commence shortly.
238. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be facilitated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14798/13]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme is available for downloading from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations.
In view of this I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to him.
239. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of applicants to Student Universal Support Ireland were incorrectly informed that they were eligible for grant aid, only to be later informed that they were in fact ineligible or entitled only to a lower amount; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many of these were subsequently forced to drop out of college; his views on whether this is fair; if he will offer some redress for these persons who relied on the incorrect information to their detriment; if he will confirm the number of applicants nationally and in County Tipperary who received such letters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14804/13]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that in the context of Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) having received in excess of 69,000 applications that some errors may inevitably arise when handling a high volume of applications within a relatively short timeframe. While every effort is made by SUSI to ensure that applicants are processed correctly, SUSI accepts that, following its quality assurance procedures, it emerged that a number of applicants received an incorrect letter and it regrets any inconvenience caused. The current SUSI process management reporting system does not record statistics specific to revised decisions.
An external review of SUSI's business processes is, however, currently being undertaken to inform improvements in the system for the 2013/14 academic year. The proposed timeline for completion of the review is later this month. Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended. The Access Officers themselves will also continue to provide support and advice to students to enable them to continue with their studies.
240. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the application for increased accommodation for a school (details supplied) in North County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14809/13]
View answerThe application from the school referred to by the Deputy is being considered by my Department. All applications for additional accommodation must have Patron approval and it is understood that the Patron is considering the matter. Department officials met with the school's Patron on 20th March last.
241. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills if scribe and reader assistance is available to students at times other than for State examinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14843/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that reasonable accommodations for students with special educational needs, who are taking State examinations, may include the provision of a reader or scribe, subject to the conditions set out by the State Examinations Commission, which are available at www.examinations.ie.
Such accommodations are specific to participation in state examinations and are therefore provided only for that purpose. The accommodations are intended to limit the impact of a candidate's special educational need or disability on their exam performance, while not giving the candidate an unfair advantage. The additional supports which are provided for children with special educational needs throughout the school year include additional resource teaching or learning support, either through the General Allocation Model or individual allocation, lower pupil teacher ratios in special schools and classes, assistive technology support where required, and access to Special Needs Assistance support, for children who have care needs.
242. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of primary and secondary school teachers, with the exclusion of headmistresses, that are women. [14844/13]
View answerApproximately 88% of Primary teachers, excluding Principals, are female. In the case of Voluntary Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Schools approximately 69% of teachers, excluding Principals are female.
VEC teachers are employees of VECs and are paid on 33 separate VEC payrolls. Accordingly, the Department does not have the information which the Deputy is seeking for teachers in VECs.
243. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to correspondence (details supplied); if he will approve realigning the boundary of eligibility for transport between the two schools mentioned therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14854/13]
View answerChanges to the Post Primary School Transport Scheme mean that from the 2012/13 school year, eligibility for all pupils newly entering a post primary school is determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest Post-Primary Education Centre having regard, as heretofore, to ethos and language.
In general, existing eligible and catchment boundary children including those who are not attending their nearest post primary centre retain their transport eligibility for the duration of their post primary education cycle provided there is no change to their current circumstances. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Distance eligibility is determined by measuring the shortest traversable route from a child's home to the relevant education centre; the route travelled by a school transport service is not a consideration in determining distance eligibility for school transport. The terms of the scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, under the terms of the scheme, may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and the payment of the annual charge.
