Written Answers Nos. 257-277
257. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department was consulted by Dublin City Council regarding the proposed disposal of council land (details supplied) in Dublin 17; if the Department has considered this proposal in the light of any plans it might have for its land and in view of the needs of the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25447/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of being consulted by Dublin City Council in relation to the proposed disposal of Council land to which the Deputy has referred. As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has already acquired sufficient land to cater for the requirements of the school to which he has referred and therefore additional land is not required at this time.
258. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the commitment in the 20 year strategy that the role of COGG will be strengthened to reflect the need to address various issues particular to the teaching and learning of Irish in schools operating through the medium of Irish, both inside and outside the Gaeltacht and the teaching of Irish in all recognised schools, and in particular his views on this commitment, in view of the decision to amalgamate COGG with the NCCA; and the way he intends to ensure that the strategy’s commitment to ensure there are adequate supports to ensure the teaching of Irish and teaching through Irish is fulfilled. [19292/13]
View answerIn reaching this decision, I paid particular attention to the context of our support not only for the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 - 2030 but also to the Education Act, 1998, to the Gaeltacht Act 2012, the recommendations in the Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life - The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011 - 2020 and to the implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle which I published last October.
I believe that the co-location of An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) with the NCCA will enhance and strengthen the capacity of COGG to meet its statutory functions. The NCCA has a significant amount of work currently underway or about to be started on the Irish language curricula in our schools. As this work progresses, COGG will concurrently and collaboratively be creating resource materials to support the implementation of the new Irish curricula in our schools, both Irish medium schools and English medium schools.
The new arrangement will maximise the possibilities for collaboration and cooperation between both bodies. Such an approach should ensure that there are adequate supports and that such supports will enhance the quality of the teaching and learning of Irish for our students. COGG will therefore continue to plan and co-ordinate for the provision of resources for the teaching and learning of Irish and to advise on and support teaching through Irish.
259. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update as to the work that is being done with newly arrived immigrant children, to assist them to learn Irish, and to participate in all Irish language activities in their education, in particular in view of the commitment in the 20 year strategy to pay specific attention to their language learning needs. [19290/13]
View answerI would like to inform you that it is not just the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language which states that students will learn two languages, English and Irish, in primary and post-primary schools but also the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, published in 2011. The NCCA is currently developing a new integrated language curriculum that will allow primary pupils, including immigrant children, to engage in learning Irish. This approach will greatly enhance the quality of learning experienced by all pupils.
If the newly arrived immigrant children are not proficient in the language of instruction my Department provides an allocation for Language Support. If the immigrant child enters the primary school in senior classes he/she may be exempt from learning Irish in order to concentrate on learning English if this is the medium of instruction. In fact, all children are usually involved in activities that relate both to Irish language and culture in the daily life of their class.
260. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update as to the progress that has been made as regards the commitment in the 20 year strategy to progress the development of an Irish language education resource centre in Baile Bhúirne, County Cork; if this commitment remains; and if he will provide a timescale on the development of such a centre. [19288/13]
View answerMy Department is not in a position to proceed with this initiative in the current budgetary climate.
261. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the impact that the proposed new enrolment legislation might have on enrolment policies in Gaelscoileanna. [25555/13]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, I announced at this year's Teacher Union Conferences that I will shortly bring to Government draft heads of a bill – the Education (Admission to School) Bill 2013. I will seek to publish the Bill in draft form to allow a full public discussion, including inputs from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection and the education partners. I also intend to publish draft regulations that I plan to make when the Bill is enacted. In bringing forward these proposals, it is not my intention to unnecessarily intrude into how schools do their business. My policy objective is to ensure that the way in which schools decide on applications is structured, fair and transparent. As the Bill and the Regulations will be published in draft form, they will also be subject to a lot of detailed scrutiny before becoming law. I will be reflecting carefully on the views expressed in the consultation process to ensure they strike the right balance between school autonomy and fairness in our education system.
262. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the restructuring of the NCCA; and the impact that this will hve on An Chomhairle Gaeltachta agus Gaelscoileanna. [25556/13]
View answerAs you are aware I have decided to co-locate COGG with the NCCA. The two organisations will move into new accommodation over the summer. I believe this new arrangement will better facilitate the implementation of the recommendations of the 20 Year Strategy for Irish, 2010 - 2030, The Gaeltacht Act 2012 and the reform currently underway on Irish curricula in primary and post primary. The NCCA has embarked on major reforms of the curricula in Irish for primary, junior cycle and senior cycle. As the NCCA work progresses, COGG will concurrently and collaboratively be creating resource materials to support the teaching and learning of Irish in both Irish medium schools and also in English medium schools. This collaborative approach will assist with the delivery of a quality learning experience for our students.
263. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will examine a business plan in respect of a training centre (details supplied) in County Kerry; if he will provide advice, assistance, grant aid and so on, in order to accommodate up to 2,500 students and create jobs proceeds at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25569/13]
View answerThis is a day to day operational matter for FÁS. I have forwarded this Business Plan to FÁS for consideration. I have asked officials in FÁS to contact the Deputy directly following their examination of the proposals.
264. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he or his Department have been in contact with the principal or board of management of a school (details supplied) in County Louth in relation to their planned intake for September 2013; if his Department have raised concerns on this issue; the steps being put in place to resolve this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25573/13]
View answer279. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider appointing a person from the planning section of his Department to arbitrate between the board of management of a school (details supplied) in County Louth, the school patron, other schools principals and boards of management of other primary schools in the northern Drogheda region, County Louth, to resolve issues relating to pupil intake for September 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25690/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 279 together.
I wish to confirm for the Deputy that my Department has communicated with the Board of Management of the school to which he refers relating to the matters raised. The school in question was established to become a fully vertical school that would grow incrementally each year and develop naturally over time to become a 16 mainstream teacher school. The school was recognised to be one of a number of primary schools that would meet the current and future needs in the area. The granting of recognition by my Department was on that understanding and this position has not changed. On this basis, the school would be expected to enrol a maximum of two Junior Infant classes annually and to fill its 16-classrooms on an incremental basis each year, culminating ultimately in two classes of each stream up to sixth standard.
My Department has previously communicated its views to this effect to both the Board of Management and Patron. My Department is aware that the Patron has also conveyed his views, which coincide with those of my Department, to the Board of Management and has directed the Board to take appropriate action to rectify the situation that currently prevails.
My Department has no role in the matter of the enrolment practices of individual schools and it would be inappropriate for me to appoint an arbitrator as proposed. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. My Department considers that the 16-classroom building for the school in question, together with the existing primary schools, provides sufficient primary school capacity in this area.
267. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Education and Skills with reference to fee paying schools (details supplied), if he will rethink the proposed increase in pupil-teacher ratio in view of the fact that the parents of children attending the school make the point that they are already paying more than 50% of their income and also paying for their children's education which they feel makes more savings to the Exchequer by saving the free school spaces.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25594/13]
View answerThe Government has protected front-line services in schools to the greatest extent possible in the recent budget and there will no reduction in teacher numbers in primary schools and in free second level schools for the 2013/14 school year as a result of the recent budget. The DEIS scheme for disadvantaged schools is also fully protected with no overall changes to staffing levels or funding as a result of the budget.However, at a time of severely reduced resources, priorities have to be made. In an effort to ensure fairness in the education system, the PTR in fee charging second level schools will rise by two points to 23:1 in September 2013.
However, these schools have the resources, through fees charged, to employ teachers privately. This is an option which is not available to schools in the free education scheme. A report on the analysis of the tuition income of fee-charging schools carried out by my Department was recently published and shows that the schools in question have €81m in discretionary income that schools in the free scheme do not have. It is important to note that the report does not contain any policy proposals at this stage. However, even after the Budget changes are implemented, the discretionary income available to these schools will still be quite considerable.
I would like to assure the Deputy that this Government recognises the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant or reformed church background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos while at the same time ensuring that funding arrangements are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. With regard to the fee-charging Protestant schools, an arrangement exists whereby funding is provided by my Department to the Secondary Education Committee (SEC), an organisation run by the churches involved in managing the Protestant secondary schools. The SEC then disburses funds to the Protestant fee-charging schools on behalf of pupils who would otherwise have difficulty with the cost of fees and who, in the absence of such financial support, would be unable to attend a second level school of a reformed church or Protestant ethos. Funding amounts to €6.5 million annually. This fund ensures that necessitous Protestant children can attend a school of their choice.
268. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will explain if, in the circumstances of two or more children from one family attending third level education who are entitled to the special rate of grant based on their parents' earnings, the rate is divided between the students or are each eligible for the full amount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25595/13]
View answerIn 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. The value of the grant is determined by the awarding authority having regarding to the reckonable income in each case.
269. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 294 of 5 February 2013, when a response will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25612/13]
View answer271. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 57 of 14 March 2013, when a response will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25616/13]
View answer272. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 58 of 14 March 2013, when a response will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25617/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 269, 271 and 272 together.
A response to these Parliamentary Questions has issued to the Deputy.
270. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare can obtain a training course with FÁS at an early date in order to facilitate access to employment which they have secured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25615/13]
View answerI understand that the person in question applied for a Manual Handling Evening Course in Ballyfermot Training Centre. He is currently number 8 on the list and the next course is starting on 10th June and a letter will be sent to this week confirming a place for the individual in question. Up-to-date information can be obtained by contacting the Ballyfermot Night Training Office directly at 01-6055932/6055933.
273. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the plans he has in place to ensure that adequate school places are now available in a town (details supplied) for the forthcoming school year commencing in September; the further plans he has to address the need for school places in the town for the following school year starting in September 2014; the methods used by his Department to determine the projected future demand for primary school accommodation; if he has given consideration to a new school building in the part of the town in which the majority of preschool children are currently living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25619/13]
View answerMy Department uses a Geographical Information System to analyse demographic data to determine the areas where additional school accommodation may be required. A variety of sources are used in this analysis, including census data, school enrolment data and child benefit data obtained from the Department of Social Protection. The Department's five-year construction plan contains projects for an additional 15 classrooms at two schools in the area to which the Deputy refers and devolved funding has been made available for projects at three other schools to deliver a further five classrooms. It is envisaged that the totality of this additionality will be delivered by the commencement of the 2013/14 school year. At post primary level, a new school will commence operation for the 2014/15 school year. The demographics for the area are currently under review and further school provision will be made if the need arises.
274. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will engage in discourse with ISM school in Tripoli, Libya, on the issue of payment of moneys owed by ISM to 17 Irish teachers; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that due to banking restrictions in Libya, ISM can only pay outstanding moneys into a Government bank account; if he will organise and facilitate a payment schedule on behalf of the 17 teachers in view of the fact that ISM cannot at this point issue individual payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25632/13]
View answerThe International School of Martyrs (ISM) is a private educational institution located in Tripoli, Libya. Teachers working at ISM are directly recruited and engaged as employees of that school. Their terms and conditions are private contractual matters between themselves and the school authorities. My Department has no role in relation to internal management or contractual issues between the school employees and their employers.
275. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter regarding a school (details supplied) in Dublin 20; if an official from his Department will make contact with the school principal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25647/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department recently met with the school Principal referred to in his question, in order to discuss issues which he has raised in relation to staffing for educational provision at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) at which he is located. Consideration of the educational staffing arrangements which should be provided in CAMHs units is currently taking place between my Department, the Department of Health, and the Health Service Executive. The outcome of these considerations will be communicated to the school principal as soon they have concluded.
276. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a student grant application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason this application has been closed despite all information requested being returned by the applicant; his views on whether this action was fair and reasonable; if his further attention has been drawn to the hardship being caused to the person as a result of this decision; if he will re-open this case and ensure that a decision is made as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25650/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with a decision on the 15/5/2013 advising her that she was deemed ineligible to receive a grant. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to the appeals officer in SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grant Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form will be available on request from SUSI.
277. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) will be eligible to apply for assistance under the higher education grant schemes; the assistance available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25681/13]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for funding at post-graduate level. To determine eligibility, a student may submit a fully completed online grant application to SUSI, via studentfinance.ie. Those who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme will be eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. Currently maintenance support is not available for students entering postgraduate courses.
A postgraduate student may qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the costs of their fees. The income threshold for this payment is €31,500 for the 2013/14 academic year, increasing relative to the number of family dependents. Tax relief is also available on postgraduate tuition fees. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners.In addition to this, the Student Assistance Fund will continue to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need.
