Written Answers Nos. 262-279
262. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 75 of 13 February 2013 if he will now furnish a reply in relation to a replacement special education needs organiser that was assigned to this child. [15121/13]
View answerAs the matter raised by the Deputy related to an internal staffing arrangement within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the Deputy's question was forwarded to that organisation for their consideration and direct reply.
I can advise the Deputy that the NCSE has confirmed that a reply has now issued directly to the Deputy regarding this matter.
264. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Education and Skills if Cumann na mBunscol games and activities (details supplied) may be included as part of any agreement on additional time in schools, acknowledging the voluntary effort of so many teachers, the importance of Cumann na mBunscol games and activities in enriching the lives of pupils and therefore enshrining the importance of our national games in the curriculum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15131/13]
View answerAs part of the Public Service (Croke Park) Agreement 2010 - 2014, teachers undertook to provide additional time for a range of activities to take place without the need to reduce class contact/tuition time. The purposes for which the additional time can be used in primary schools are detailed in circular letter 8/2011, which is available on my Department's website.
The recent proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission on an extension to the Croke Park Agreement include a proposal that teachers will provide additional time for the purpose of supervision and substitution work. These proposals are currently being considered by the membership of the public service trade unions and I do not believe it would be helpful to this ongoing decision-making process for me to comment or elaborate upon proposals which were carefully constructed by the LRC.
266. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current status of the six new or replacement schools announced as part of the national stimulus plan on an individual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15153/13]
View answerIn July 2012 a planned investment in educational projects through the public private partnership process (PPP) was announced as part of the Government's economic stimulus package. As a result, a further 2 bundles of school projects will be rolled out consisting of a total of 12 individual schools worth a total of approximately €100 million.
Delivering these schools through the PPP process will mean that the private sector rather than the State sector will bear the initial costs of the job rich schools projects. Accordingly, procurement of these 2 bundles is expected to commence on a rolling basis beginning in 2013 with the completion of the schools targeted for 2017 and 2018. Schools that make up Bundle 4 will consist of 1 primary and 5 post primary schools details of which are as follows:
Name School Type
1 St Joseph's Secondary School, Tulla, Co Clare. New Secondary School.
2 Skibbereen, Co Cork. New Community School.
3 Celbridge Co Kildare New Primary School
4 Celbridge Co. Kildare. New Post Primary School.
5 St Mary's College, Dundalk, Louth. Secondary School.
6 Comeragh, Carrick-on-Suir New VEC College.
Details of the 6 schools that are expected to make up Bundle 5 are currently being finalised.
267. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current status of phase one of the consolidation of Dublin Institute of Technology into one single site at Grangegorman as announced as part of the national stimulus plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15154/13]
View answerInfrastructure works on the site will commence in April 2013 when contracts for demolition works are placed. Further enabling works (relating to piping / site and sewage works) are expected to be placed later in the summer and will continue throughout 2014. The first tranche of 1,000 students are expected to be on site by 1st September 2014 in time for the start of the 2014/2015 academic year (there are no students on the site as yet).
268. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills if financial assistance is available for students who were brought up in care; if he will outline the way this assistance may be applied for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15161/13]
View answerThe principal financial support available to students from my Department is provided under the student grant scheme, which makes available means-tested financial assistance to less well off students. Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means. To determine eligibility, a student may submit a fully completed online grant application to Student Universal Support Ireland via the studentfinance.ie website once the application process for the 2013/14 academic year opens.
269. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills when funding will be provided to build the extension to a college (details supplied) in Dublin 15 including new classrooms and a sports hall; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15165/13]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Due to competing demands on the 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 5 year construction programme. School building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which have not been included in the five year construction programme, 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 the Department in future years.
270. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will undertake a review of the patronage decision with regard to the new second level school in Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15 to ensure the views and concerns of all members of the local community are satisfied with the situation. [15166/13]
View answerThe criteria that applied in awarding patronage of the post primary school for Tyrrelstown-Mulhuddart were as announced by me on 27th June 2011. These criteria provided for a greater diversity of school patronage having regard to parental preferences in each area. One of the criteria provided that the new schools would have to accept all pupils from within the areas they are to serve. The recommendation made by the New Schools Establishment Group was that the Le Chéile Schools Trust patronage model satisfied all of the criteria, and on the basis of the level of parental demand shown for this type of school, should be awarded patronage. I accepted this recommendation and announced my decision to award patronage of the new school to Le Chéile Schools Trust on 25th July, 2012. It is not proposed to review the decision at this stage.
271. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the impact the proposed centralisation of State procurement procedures will have on small, local businesses which have been supplying schools and educational facilities for, in some cases, decades and are, through good working relationships, attuned to the particular requirements of local schools. [15232/13]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that the National Procurement Service (NPS) is supporting Small and Medium Business Enterprises (SMEs) to participate in public sector procurement competitions through its education and guidance strategies. All of the NPS tender documents explicitly seek to encourage the participation of SMEs in competitions, by encouraging them to explore the possibilities of forming relationships with other SMEs or with larger enterprises.
In terms of public procurement reform, it has been estimated that €9 billion is spent by public bodies annually on the procurement of supplies and services. My colleague Minister Howlin has highlighted the importance of ensuring that the public sector is achieving maximum value for money and operational efficiency in its approach to public procurement. Centralising the procurement of commonly used goods and services can deliver significant benefits which include: cash savings; administrative savings from reduced duplication of tendering; greater purchasing expertise; improved consistency and enhanced service levels.
In addition, given the financial constraints within which we must all now work, cost reductions and savings can go some way to helping Exchequer funded bodies, such as schools, manage within reducing financial budgets.
Given the potential benefits that can be realised across the public sector, public procurement is one of the major projects of key strategic importance under the Government's Public Service Reform Plan. The Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011, provides for the development of a new policy framework for procurement. This work is now being led by the newly appointed Chief Procurement Officer, Paul Quinn. Under his leadership a new national procurement office for the public sector is being established. Paul is currently working with officials across the public sector to put in place new sectoral and centralised procurement arrangements.
I do appreciate the concerns being raised by school supply companies and I have asked relevant officials here in the Department, who are coordinating procurement reform in the Education and Training sector, to take these concerns into consideration in the context of the work being undertaken on procurement reform.
272. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm if places on the five year school building programme have become available for schools not originally included but which have overtaken other listed schools in terms of preparation and readiness to proceed with construction and improvements projects. [15233/13]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, it was anticipated in the announcement of the five year construction programme in March last year that adjustments might be made in relation to the scheduling of projects included in the programme on a year to year basis within the lifetime of the Plan. Decisions on these matters are made following consideration of a number of criteria, such as the overall annual funding available, the urgency and prioritising of competing projects to meet demographic requirements, multi-annual contractual commitments created by individual projects and the technical readiness of projects to proceed to tender and construction.
However there were also a number of school building projects which simply could not be included in the five year plan I announced in March last year. However, as the Deputy is aware, my Department has continued to progress projects outside the five year plan to the final planning stages in anticipation of further funding becoming available to my Department in future years. To date no extra funding has been made available. As 2013 progresses, projects scheduled to proceed to construction in the later years of the plan will be assessed in the context of the criteria that I have outlined above and can only be considered for advancement if there is the financial scope to do so.
273. 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. [15286/13]
View answerThe independent Student Grants Appeal Board is in receipt of an appeal from the student in question. The appeal is due for consideration on the 9th April next. The student will be notified directly of the outcome by the Appeals Board.
274. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of the agreement between his Department and Kilkenny College as part of the college agreeing to enter the free education scheme; if it is envisaged that similar additional costs will accrue for the Exchequer in the event of other fee-charging schools joining the free education scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15287/13]
View answer275. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the additional cost to the Exchequer as a result of the decision of Kilkenny College to enter the free education scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15288/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 275 together.
The Government is committed to supporting access of minority denomination communities to schools that are of their tradition or ethos. The provision made by Kilkenny College caters for the needs of children from the Protestant community spread across several counties. Accordingly when the authorities of Kilkenny College indicated that they were considering that the long term future of that school might be better secured by entering the Free Scheme I was happy to have officials of my Department work with the college authorities to work through a basis on which such a transfer would be feasible if that was their ultimate judgement. The Deputy will appreciate that over the course of those detailed discussions the College authorities shared information in confidence with the Department. While that is the case I do want to advise the Deputy of the agreement reached with the College. Kilkenny College will cease to charge fees with effect from the start of school year in September next and as a result my Department will in future pay the salaries of a teacher for every 19 students attending the College. This compares with one teacher for every 21 students in fee charging schools at present and which will rise to one teacher for every 23 students in September 2013. My Department will also provide capitation and related funding to the College on the same basis as every other voluntary secondary school within the Free Education Scheme. I also approved certain transition arrangements in relation to teaching staff employed by the College and reviewed the level of exchequer funding approved by the Department for building projects carried out by the College. The precise cost of additional exchequer expenditure in Kilkenny College will be a function later this year of the actual enrolment in the College as a school within the Free Scheme. The report I published recently "Fee Charging Schools - Analysis of Fee income" included an amount of € 23.55 million exchequer funding foregone by the schools. This equates with the amount of exchequer funding that would be paid out if every single fee charging school sought to transfer to the Free Scheme. I do not envisage that all of the schools will seek to do so. However, any approach to my Department will be considered on an individual basis that will take account of the significance of the provision concerned in terms of diversity and overall demand for school places in the locality served by the school.
276. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated average cost to the Exchequer of a student attending a secondary school participating in the free education scheme and the way this compares to the average cost to his Department for each student attending a fee paying school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15289/13]
View answerThe estimated average cost per student of a teaching post allocated to a voluntary secondary school in the Free Education scheme at a ratio of 19:1 is estimated at €3,368. A student enrolled in a school in the Free Education scheme also attracts per capita and associated grants totalling €639 per annum. Accordingly, the average per student cost in respect of a voluntary secondary school in the Free Education scheme is €4,007. The estimated average cost per pupil of a teaching post allocated to a fee charging school at a ratio of 21:1 is estimated at €3,048. Grants are not paid by my Department in respect of students enrolled in fee-charging schools.
277. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for a delay in providing clarity to Student Universal Support Ireland on the application of a person (details supplied) on whether their qualification is equivalent to a level 8 undergraduate degree or a level 9 masters degree, according to the Irish National Framework of Qualifications; when clarity will issue, in view of the fact that the extensive delay is causing significant grief for the applicant and their family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15290/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a grant and an award letter issued on 20th March, 2013
278. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of the annual saving to the public sector pay bill if non-commercial State agency pay was capped at €100,000. [15966/13]
View answerTen CEOs in agencies under the aegis of my Department are in receipt of salaries in excess of €100,000. If these salaries were to be capped, the resultant saving to the Exchequer would be €301,602
279. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the impact that coastal erosion is having on our environment and the serious problems faced by Ireland and many other European countries due to global warming, rising tides and so on, if he will ensure that this important issue is made a European priority during Ireland's EU Presidency and that adequate funding is put in place to address this European environmental problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14808/13]
View answerI agree with the Deputy that coastal erosion is an important matter and note his comments on addressing as a priority the impact of coastal erosion on the environment in an EU wide context during Ireland's EU Presidency.
I would say at the outset that coastal erosion is a natural and ongoing process and it only becomes a problem when it threatens human life, infrastructure and properties. It differs significantly from coastal flooding, as assets are permanently lost. Dealing with problems of coastal erosion also requires a somewhat different approach to problems of flooding and must be addressed in a sensitive manner.
The management of problems of coastal erosion in any particular area is first and foremost a matter for the relevant local authority. The local authority must assess the problem in the first instance and, if it considers that specific measures and works are required, it can submit an application to the OPW for funding to implement those measures under the OPW's Minor Coastal Works Scheme. This Scheme is one of the principal means through which the OPW, in conjunction with the local authorities, is tackling the problems of coastal erosion.
Applications for funding under the Minor Works Scheme are assessed by the OPW to ensure that the works proposed are viable and are based on a robust technical analysis and assessment of the problems. To be eligible for funding the proposals must also be shown to be cost beneficial and have a sound economic justification. OPW requires that proposals and funding applications for structural measures to prevent or mitigate erosion should be done in conjunction with an appropriate coastal erosion risk management study, which fully investigates, substantiates and demonstrates the merits of the measures being proposed.
Significant work has been carried out under the Irish Coastal Protection Strategy Study (ICPSS) which is a major examination being undertaken by the consultancy group RPS to assess and identify the most significant areas of erosion risk for the entire national coastline. This major study is virtually complete and it will provide invaluable and essential information required to inform policy in this area.
The ICPSS is mapping the entire national coastline and the erosion hazard maps produced and published under the study will be available to local planners to inform and guide decisions on local coastal planning issues. This is very important element in the overall management framework to deal with problems of coastal erosion as it is vitally important that the correct decisions are made to avoid future risk associated with inappropriate developments in coastal areas.
