Written Answers Nos. 94-101
94. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills his response to the request from Union of Students in Ireland to fund a study on the impact of increasing student fees on participating families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30993/13]
View answerUnder my Department's free fees scheme eligible full-time undergraduate students have their tuition fees paid on their behalf by the Exchequer. As the Deputy will be aware the student contribution will increase to €2,500 for the next academic year and is payable by students who qualify under the free fees scheme. Students who qualify under my Department's student grant scheme have the student contribution paid on their behalf by the Exchequer. The Government is aware of the financial pressures on families and, conscious of this, tax relief provisions have been put in place which provide for tax relief so that second and subsequent siblings do not have to bear the full cost of the student contribution. In addition, my Department, through the Higher Education Authority (HEA), requested institutions to put arrangements in place whereby students may opt to pay the contribution in two instalments.
The HEA is undertaking a study on the sustainability of the current funding system for higher education. This study was initiated at my request and an initial report has been published. This report makes it clear that immediate work is required to prepare for a longer term approach to a system that can be maintained through a sustainable funding base which will be able to address the continual expansion of the sector while protecting the quality of education. The HEA is continuing its work in this area and I will be advised further as this work progresses. The report will help inform decision-making as to the future funding of the sector.
95. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school project in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Galway will be approved to go for architectural planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30864/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding. The Deputy will be aware, that the school was recently invited to participate in the Prefab Replacement Scheme II and I understand that the school authorities have accepted this offer. This acceptance, involving the construction of a number of classrooms, represents the first phase of development works at the school. In light of this development, my Department will be in further contact with the school authority regarding their remaining accommodation needs and how these might be addressed.
96. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a determination will be made on a Student Universal Support Ireland grant application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30880/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with a decision on the 13th June 2013 advising him that he was deemed ineligible to receive a grant. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by SUSI, and remains of the view that SUSI has not interpreted the scheme correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the Student Grant Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form will be available on request from SUSI.
97. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a review has not taken place in the past two years on the number and location of base schools for the allocation of staffing for resource hours as per circular 0013/2013 appendix C; if this results in schools with more than 15 hours resource teaching not having a resource teacher based in the school and at the same time other schools with less than 15 resource teaching hours having such a teacher based in the school; if this can be justified on the grounds of good practice and equality; when it is intended to carry out a review of base schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30881/13]
View answerThe General Allocation Model (GAM) was introduced in 2005 as a standardised method for the allocation of teaching resources to schools for the provision of learning support to pupils with high incidence special needs. The initial allocations of teaching resources to schools under the GAM was based on the enrolments in the schools as at 30 September 2003. Notwithstanding the changes in demographics, the GAM allocations for individual schools remained largely unchanged over the years until the process was reformed and streamlined for the 2012/13 school year. The changes that were made were not designed as a savings measure but instead to facilitate the updating of the GAM allocations for individual schools which had not been done, in many cases, for nearly a decade and also to facilitate the operation of the teacher allocation and redeployment process.
Resource hours are allocated by the NCSE as support for pupils with low incidence special needs. This is typically done in June of each year with allocations also being made later in the year. In order to facilitate the operation of the teacher allocation and redeployment process a network of permanent resource posts were allocated to base primary schools. In the 2012/13 school year, 85% of all NCSE approved resource teaching hours were allocated to schools that had resource base posts. Primary schools that were allocated resource hours and did not have a base post could enter sharing arrangements with local schools that had such a post or, if none was available, apply to the Department for part-time posts.
When the allocation and redeployment process has transacted, schools have flexibility to operate, where possible, their own temporary local arrangements in relation to the day to day work arrangements of teachers in full-time shared posts. The detail on such matters is set out in the Department's Staffing Circular 0013/13. The Deputy will also be aware that the NCSE has recently published a policy advice paper that recommends some changes on how resources are allocated to schools to support pupils with special educational needs.
98. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Clare who was on back to education allowance and applied to Student Universal Support Ireland for a full grant was not approved for a grant towards fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30886/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with an ineligible letter on the 21st September 2012. The applicant specified on his grant application form that he was pursuing a Post Leaving Certificate Course (PLC). Applicants in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) who are pursuing PLC courses are not eligible for maintenance support under the student grant scheme.
The previous Fianna Fail government provided for the introduction of a €200 annual PLC programme participant contribution in Budget 2011. The following categories of participants are exempt from paying the contribution:
- Full medical card holders in their own right and their dependent children;
- Those who are eligible under the student grant scheme;
- Those in receipt of the BTEA or Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) allowances.
I am aware that some schools/colleges impose a registration fee to cover exam fees, student charges or course equipment which becomes the property of the learner after completion of the course. Such fees are a matter for individual schools and the Vocational Educational Committees which manage the schools.
99. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address concerns regarding working hours that are spent by resource teachers in travelling between schools; if he will review inefficiencies that arise; if he will consider this specifically with reference to a geographical area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30888/13]
View answerShared full-time posts and travel between schools is a long standing feature of the primary system. There were a plethora of long-standing clustering arrangements in place which were not the most practical, efficient or cost effective way to allocate resources. The new arrangements introduced in the current school year are designed to address the limitations of the previous arrangements. Under the reforms to the teacher allocation process introduced for the current school year, schools were empowered to cluster and arrange their General Allocation Model resources in a manner that best suits their local needs, including in a manner that reduces travel between schools. This school led process has resulted in over 97% of the overall GAM/EAL allocation being in full-time stand-alone or shared posts.
The new arrangements relating to resource hours for individual pupils involved the allocation of a network of permanent posts in base schools and again are designed to make the system work more smoothly at school level. 85% of all NCSE approved resource teaching hours in the 2012/13 school year were allocated to schools that had resource base posts. The staffing arrangements for the coming school year 2013/14 are outlined in Circular 0013/2013 which is available on the Department website. When the allocation and redeployment process is completed later in the Summer schools that have complied with the arrangements outlined in the circular will be given some discretion to operate, where possible, their own temporary local arrangements in relation to the day to day work arrangements of teachers in full-time shared posts. These arrangements are aimed at minimising any time lost in travelling between schools.
100. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has yet to receive notification of their 2012-13 higher education grant application from Student Universal Support Ireland; the reason SUSI requested that the person cancel the original application and re-apply; his views on whether it is unfair that this student is still awaiting examination results because of this HEG situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30892/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that requested additional documentation was incomplete. The applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with a decision on 22nd May, 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.
101. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position on the salary scale and the requirements to be considered for the supplementary teaching panel in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30898/13]
View answerThe core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. Thereafter, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from supplementary panels comprised of eligible fixed-term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers. The application process for the supplementary panels was introduced for the 2012/13 school year.
The Deputy will be aware that the arrangements for panel access for fixed term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers for the 2013/14 school year are set out in Department Circular 0038/2012 which was published on 9 November 2012 on the Department website. The period for submitting applications was between 9 November 2012 and 14 December 2012. The circular made clear that late applications would not be considered. The Department has received a number of applications after the closing date which will not be processed. The person referred to by the Deputy did not meet the criteria set out for the supplementary panel for the 2013/2014 school year. The arrangements for the access to the supplementary panel for the 2014/15 school year will be published on my Department's website in due course.
