Written Answers Nos. 68-76
68. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action he has taken to date to improve equality of access at third level facing children of non-EU migrants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17586/13]
View answerI am aware of the financial access issues in relation to fees and grants being encountered by children of non-EU migrants entering and attending higher education courses. These issues are currently under consideration. The Deputy will however appreciate in the current economic climate that any decision in relation to changes to either the Free Fees Schemes or the Student Grant Scheme will need to be considered in the context of availability of resources.
70. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the legislation governing the Student Universal Support Ireland grant discriminates against students whose parent for the purposes of assessment of income is in receipt of an allowance as a dependent of a cohabiting partner (details supplied). [17442/13]
View answerTo qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions:
1. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703.
2. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term payment prescribed under the scheme.
In the case of a dependent candidate, the reckonable income taken into account is that of the candidate and of the candidate's parents or legal guardian: Section 2 of the Student Support Act 2011 provides that "parent" includes an appointed guardian or an adoptive parent.
The Student Support Act 2011 and the Social Welfare Act 1952 are the legislative basis for the provision of differing services and supports. The Student Support Act 2011 is for the provision of supports for further and higher education and, therefore, its conditions are specific to that purpose.
71. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the recent Impact study which indicated that more than half of special needs assistants in schools say they have been assaulted by pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17550/13]
View answerThe health and safety of school staff and pupils is a fundamental aspect of the day-to-day management of schools. My Department has a role in supporting schools in relation to how they discharge those responsibilities. The survey conducted by IMPACT can be valuable in informing best practice in schools and I hope it will be made available to my Department and others.
On receipt of the survey I will ask my Department to bring it to the attention of the various organisations who represent school management. This will enable the management of schools who employ special needs assistants to take the findings of this survey into account when preparing or reviewing their school safety statement and arrangements.
73. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the appointments to the Residential Institutions Statutory Board in 2012; when the applications to the RISB will be processed and allocated to survivors of residential institutional child abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17444/13]
View answerI appointed the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board with effect from 25th March 2013. A copy of the Press Release issued, with the members' details, is being forwarded to the Deputy. The Board will oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of some 15,000 survivors of institutional child abuse. Supports across a range of services, including mental health services, health and personal social services, education and housing services will be available. The Board held its inaugural meeting on 27th March and has commenced work on the arrangements to be put in place for the operation of the Fund. Further publicity will be undertaken as the work of the Board progresses and a website with detailed information on the Fund's services will be developed. While the tasks facing the Fund are significant, I am confident that it will make a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of the survivors of institutional abuse.
74. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the fact that Down's Syndrome is not categorised as a low incidence disability, meaning less teaching supports and acting as a deterrent to Down's Sydrome children receiving a mainstream education. [17450/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with Down syndrome, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. The policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, or where a special school or special class placement may be required to ensure such placements are provided for.
Pupils with Down syndrome attending mainstream schools may receive additional teaching support in primary schools, either under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, if the pupil's educational psychological assessment places the pupil in the mild general learning disability/high incidence disability category, or through an allocation of individual additional resource teaching hours which are allocated by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), if the child is assessed as being within the low incidence category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05.
I have asked the National Council for Special Education to provide me with policy advice on the issue of whether Down syndrome should be reclassified as a low incidence disability in all instances, regardless of assessed cognitive ability. This advice will be included in the NCSE's comprehensive policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational needs which is currently in preparation and which is expected in the coming months.
All schools were advised to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching or SNA support for the 2013/14 school year before 15th March 2013 and schools will be notified by Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) of their resource teaching allocation for the new school year, based on the number of valid applications received.
75. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will indicate, arising from the experience in recent years, the extent to which the education system adequately meets the requirements and standards of the workplace with particular reference to the needs of industry in the filling of posts at various levels; if the type and quality of skills available is adequate to meet the demand, nationally and internationally; if any particular or obvious issues have arisen which may require attention in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17579/13]
View answerThe policy basis which informs my Department's education and training provision includes the National Skills Strategy, the Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation, the Report of the Task Force on Innovation, the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work.
In addition to the wide range of cross-cutting policy structures and forums for engagement on enterprise skills needs, such as the National Competitiveness Council, and the Innovation Task Force; direct advice from enterprise informs the development of education and training policy on an ongoing basis. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs informs the selection of new targeted programmes designed to tackle the skills shortages in particular elements of the economy, e.g. Springboard, Momentum and the ICT skills conversion initiative, which was introduced as part of the ICT Action Plan.
