Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Written Answers Nos. 79-88

Departmental Bodies

Questions (79)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

79. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on concerns expressed regarding the decision to merge An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachtaí agus Gaelscolaíochta with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment; if he intends to deal with these concerns by introducing legislation to ensure that the board of COGG does not come under the control of the board of the NCCA; if he will ensure that the budget of COGG is ring-fenced and that the NCCA will not exercise any control over the budget of COGG; his further views on whether it would be better to revoke the decision to merge these bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25508/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I have made my decision to co-locate COGG and the NCCA. I informed and fully discussed this decision with Cabinet last November. I believe co-location will better facilitate the implementation of the recommendations not only of the 20 Year Strategy for Irish, 2010 - 2030, but also The Gaeltacht Act 2012 and the curricular reform currently under way for primary and post-primary education. Funding for COGG will be provided as a dedicated subhead within the NCCA budget from 2014. It will be ring-fenced for COGG activities since it is important that I ensure there is sustained investment available to support the Irish Language. I believe the collaborative co-location approach will create opportunities for more positive outcomes for our schools and generate greater student proficiency in the Irish language.

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Questions (80)

Clare Daly

Question:

80. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that students at a college (details suppplied) in Dublin 10 will have access to Irish certification and be eligible to apply for grants. [25048/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that the College referred to by the Deputy is an approved post-leaving certificate centre which is managed and funded by City of Dublin Vocational Educational Committee from funding provided by my Department. Post-leaving certificate centres provide further education courses up to Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications. However, my Department has facilitated the provision by the college of a course accredited by a third level institution at Level 8 on the NFQ for a number of years and continues to do so as an exceptional measure. Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 outlines the position with regard to approved institutions for the purposes of student grants. The college is comprehended within section 7(1)(d) of the Act as an education institution in the State in receipt of grants out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas for the provision of post-leaving certificate courses. I have no plans to designate further education centres as approved third level institutions for the purposes of the student grant scheme.

Student Grant Scheme Reform

Questions (81)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

81. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the pursuit of radical reductions by his Department in public sector costs undermined the ability of SUSI to provide for vulnerable students in view of the claims made by the Union of Students in Ireland following an independent report conducted by Accenture. [25388/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

For the 2012-13 academic year, Student Universal Support Ireland was staffed to the level that had been requested. For 2013-14, additional resources recommended by the Independent Review carried out by Accenture have already been sanctioned. The sanction of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was received on 15 May 2013 for 23 additional seasonal Clerical Officer level posts, thereby increasing the number of Whole Time Equivalents to 88. In addition, three management posts at Assistant Principal level have been approved. This will help to ensure qualifying students have their applications assessed as quickly as possible.

Teacher Training Provision

Questions (82)

Brendan Smith

Question:

82. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way new teachers will manage to gain the hours necessary to complete their probation if he radically reduces the substitute teaching hours available as a result of proposals included in the Croke Park 2 agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25497/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The revised proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission for the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-16 provide for additional time under the supervision and substitution scheme to be used in the following ways: from the start of the 2013-14 school year, for all uncertified sick leave absences in schools, subject to normal alleviation measures in schools; and from the start of the 2014-15 school year, for the first day of force majeure leave and illness in family leave. While these measures will reduce the overall use of substitute teachers, new teachers will still be able to gain the hours necessary to complete their period of probation in the normal manner. The public service trade unions are considering these proposals. I do not think that it would be helpful to this ongoing process for me to comment or elaborate on proposals which were carefully constructed by the LRC.

Teacher Training Provision

Questions (83)

Michael McGrath

Question:

83. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts he has made to assist students of teacher training colleges to meet the costs of Gaeltacht placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25492/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

As part of the Government's budgetary considerations and the Comprehensive Expenditure Review carried out in 2011, it was decided to abolish payments by this Department towards the cost of attendance at Gaeltacht courses by initial teacher education students with effect from September 2012. To assist with the costs of the Gaeltacht placement, students who are in receipt of a student grant which includes a 100% fee grant, or who would have qualified for a full fee grant but for the Free Fees Schemes, can apply for funding towards travel and accommodation costs under the field trip element of a fee grant, subject to the normal terms and conditions of the scheme. Apart from the student grant system, in circumstances of particular need students may apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. Information in relation to this fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Questions (84)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

84. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he foresees the full implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004; and his plans to ensure the effective assessment and planning for students with special educational needs. [25457/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that a significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. In light of the difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of EPSEN. The National Council for Special Education had suggested that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235 million per annum, across the education and health sectors, would be required to fully implement the EPSEN Act. My Department's view is that the level of investment required would now be greater than that envisaged in the NCSE report. Given the costs involved and current fiscal constraints, addressing this issue will be very challenging. I will consider how we can develop a plan to implement the objectives of the EPSEN Act to deliver improved educational outcomes for students with special needs. Last year, my Department asked the NCSE to provide policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational needs. This advice will guide the preparation of a plan on how aspects of EPSEN can be implemented, including the prioritising of access to children with special needs to an individual education plan.

The NCSE report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools has now been published. Whereas the report recommends that the EPSEN Act be fully implemented as soon as possible, the report also states that the NCSE recognises that the current economic climate makes it unlikely that the Government will be able to implement this recommendation in the short to medium term. While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has made a number of recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act. The NCSE report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools is available on the NCSE website, www.ncse.ie. The recommendations in the Report will require indepth and detailed examination. I have asked my Department to carefully review the recommendations and report back to me on them. I am conscious that in making any changes to our supports for children with Special Educational Needs, we need to protect the gains we have made. Therefore, I would like to give an assurance that consultation will be a key aspect in the implementation of any of the report's recommendations.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Questions (85, 91)

Mick Wallace

Question:

85. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action he plans to take in relation to the recommendations of the recently published report by the National Council for Special Education entitled Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools; if he will provide a timeframe for this action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25510/13]

Seán Crowe

Question:

91. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will implement one of the key recommendations contained in the National Council for Special Education report, Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools, that the link between allocation based on category of disability should be changed to one of allocation based on need. [25395/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 91 together.

Last year, I requested the NCSE to review and make recommendations on the supports that we provide to children with special educational needs and how they are allocated, to ensure we are delivering the best possible educational experience and outcomes for our children. The NCSE has published its policy advice on Support Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools, which is available on its website, www.ncse.ie. The NCSE report makes it clear that parents and schools are very happy with many aspects of the current system. However, the NCSE also considers that there are concerns in relation to some aspects of our current system, under the headings of Enrolment, Assessments and Supports for children with Special Educational Needs and their allocation. The report makes 28 detailed recommendations which the NCSE feels would help to address these issues.

The recommendations in the report are interesting and significant. They deserve indepth and detailed examination and exploration. That is why I have asked my Department to carefully review the recommendations and report back to me on them. The report recommends that under the new resource allocation model proposed by the NCSE in its report, children should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need, rather than by disability category. I have requested the NCSE to immediately proceed to establish a Working Group in order to develop a proposal for consideration for a new Tailored Allocation Model, which is set out as one of the principal recommendations of the report. This proposal will then be considered by my Department. I am conscious that in making any changes to our supports for children with Special Educational Needs, we need to protect the gains we have made. Therefore, I would like to give an assurance that consultation will be a key aspect in the implementation of any of these recommendations.

Student Retention Rates

Questions (86)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

86. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form, the number of students who were forced to drop out of college as a result of problems in the way third level grant applications were processed by Student Universal Support Ireland. [25387/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Information in relation to students who drop out of college is not available in the format requested. The Deputy would be aware that affordability is just one of the factors that impact on students' continued participation in higher education. There are a range of wider factors that also impact on participation, including social and cultural issues, prior academic attainment and teacher and parental expectations.

Fee Paying Schools

Questions (87)

Brendan Smith

Question:

87. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of private schools his Department are in negotiations with regarding entry into the free fees scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25500/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I assume the Deputy is referring to fee-charging schools at post-primary level. Twelve schools have made contact with the Department. The level of engagement to date varies from school to school. Where the authorities of a school approach the Department about entering the Free Education scheme, it is because they are concerned about the future viability of the school and wish to explore all options in considering the future of the school. I have made it clear that my Department will engage constructively with any fee-charging school that is considering how best to secure its future. Any approach to my Department will be considered on an individual school-by-school basis, taking account of the significance of the provision concerned in terms of diversity and overall demand for school places in the locality served by a school. On the basis of the analysis I published earlier this year on the income from fees available to fee-charging schools, I expect that a minority of the fee-charging schools will wish to engage with my Department in planning for their future.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Questions (88)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

88. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the choice for students on the autism spectrum who are being educated in mainstream classrooms to take part in summer camps being organised in schools where it is available to them as part of the July provision scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25503/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The purpose of the July Education Programme is to extend the school year for children with Autism and with Severe or Profound General Learning Disabilities to assist participating children in maintaining their learning. The programme is normally run over the month of July. Where school-based provision is not feasible, 10 hours per week home-based provision may be grant-aided to eligible pupils. Summer Camps are not a feature of the July provision scheme, which is intended primarily to ensure the continuation of the child's education during the month of July.