Written Answers Nos. 118-125
118. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will seek increased funding for his Department in budget 2014 in respect of the student assistance fund for the coming academic year in view of the increased financial difficulties being reported by third level students and their families as the student contribution fee has increased. [31148/13]
View answerStudents 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 reliefs so that second and subsequent siblings do not have to bear the full cost. 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 management of the Third Level Access Measure Fund rests with the Higher Education Authority and the allocation of funding for the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities in a particular year is a matter for the authority. The overall value of the Measure for the 2013/14 academic year is €16.2m. The allocation to the Student Assistance Fund for the 2013/14 academic year will not be known until the HEA takes a decision in this matter in the run up to the commencement of the academic year. The HEA's policy is to advise institutions of their annual allocations under the Fund as early as possible prior to the academic year so as to facilitate forward planning.
The Deputy will appreciate that as the preparation of the Estimates for any Budget, including Budget 2014, is carried out on a strictly confidential basis, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific issues or proposals, including those relating to the Student Assistance Fund, in advance of the Budget announcement.
119. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider amending the application process for student maintenance grants to make it more flexible for a third level student under the age of 23 years who wishes to apply in their own right for a grant because they are not financially dependent on their parents. [31149/13]
View answerFor student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1 October. Otherwise he/she would continue to be assessed on the basis of his/her parents' income.
In recognition of the fact that a student under 23 yeas of age can be estranged from his/her parents, it is possible under the student grant scheme, as an exceptional measure, for such a candidate to be assessed without reference to his/her parents/guardians income or address.
However, compelling independent evidence of estrangement must be provided to the grant awarding authority to enable this. The type of independent evidence includes a letter from a social worker or other appropriate officer of the Health Service Executive explaining the circumstances of the estrangement. Confirmation that a candidate is living separately from his/her parents/guardians is not sufficient.
I have no plans at present to change the eligibility arrangements in respect of students under the age of 23 who apply for a student grant.
120. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to commission a study on the impact of cuts in Exchequer spending on third level education, particularly in the area of maintenance grants, on students and families and the quality of third level education in Ireland and the international reputation of Ireland's universities. [31151/13]
View answerI understand that the Higher Education Authority (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.
Budget 2013 provided for a 3% reduction in grant income thresholds in the 2013 grant scheme. The measure applied to both new and renewal. This reduction in thresholds does not apply to the threshold for the special rate of grant and the threshold for the €2,000 contribution at postgraduate which remained at €31,500 for the 2013/14 academic year.
There was no change in Budget 2013 to any of the student grant rates including the non-adjacent or adjacent rates of grant or the higher special rate of grant for the 2013 financial year.
121. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider reversing the cuts to special needs resources (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31166/13]
View answer122. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding educational cuts to students with special needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31172/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the level of resources devoted to supporting children with Special Educational Needs has been maintained at €1.3 billion this year. This includes provision for 10,575 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and nearly 10,000 Learning Support and Resource Teachers. These resources have been protected despite the ongoing severe financial position.
In relation to the allocation of resource teaching support for schools from September 2013, demand for support has risen again this year, due to a combination of demographic growth and increased assessments.
Despite the fact that the overall number of posts available to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) for allocation to schools had been maintained at existing levels, the allocations announced by the NCSE last week were reduced to take into account the growth in demand, within the maintained number of posts, in order to ensure that equivalent allocations could be made for all qualifying children.
The Deputy will be aware that I announced yesterday that I have now authorised the NCSE to retain the level of resource teaching allocations which can be provided for students with special educational needs to the 2012/13 levels. This will mean that there will not now be any reduction to resource teaching time for children over the level which applied last year. I also committed to ensuring that the additional resources which will be required to ensure that the allocations can be made to schools at existing levels will be provided. The NCSE will shortly publish revised details of the Resource Teaching allocations for all schools, based on existing allocation levels, and will be advising schools of their revised allocations in the coming days. In the longer term, it is proposed to develop new allocations system to improve how we provide our allocations to school.
I am concerned that the scale of increased demand for resource teachers this year, if it were to continue, would make the current system unsustainable.
I am asking the NCSE to consider the reasons for the unprecedented 12 per cent rise in applications for resource teacher support this year, which compares with an annual 1.3 per cent increase in the number of students attending school in the current year.
The Deputy will be aware that the NCSE recently published comprehensive policy advice on Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools. I have, as suggested by the Report, requested the NCSE to establish a Working Group to develop a proposal, for consideration, for a 'tailored' allocation model, which will underpin a new allocation system for teaching supports for children with Special Educational Needs based on the profiled educational needs of children in schools.
The Working Group will report to me in September on the progress of its work, to develop advice on how to reform the way the substantial additional educational resources for pupils with special educational needs are allocated in the school system.
In the interim, I wish to ensure that children will not be disadvantaged while we move towards a new model which will ensure greater fairness and quality of education for children with special educational needs. That is why I have made the decision to maintain the existing allocation levels this year.
123. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider calls from the Waterford City Centre Business Group and other business groups and persons to place a moratorium on the rates revaluation process in Waterford City and County until after the amalgamation of Waterford City and County; the way the rates are calculated and benchmarked; if his attention has been drawn to to the fact that many businesses, in particular retailers, have been issued with proposed increases of between 30% to 150%, which is almost certainly unsustainable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31103/13]
View answerRevaluation of all rateable properties across the State is a priority for Government and is a feature of the Action Plan for Jobs 2012.
The national revaluation programme aims to provide up-to-date valuations for individual properties across all economic sectors that are subject to local authority rates. It is an important programme, especially given the significant changes that have occurred in rental values following the economic downturn of recent years. The revaluation process is the mechanism whereby economic changes that take place in the property market are reflected in the valuation lists for rates purposes and in individual ratepayers’ rates liabilities. The purpose of a revaluation is to distribute commercial rates liabilities more equitably among ratepayers based on up-to-date values. Following revaluation, there will be a much closer relationship between rental value and commercial rates liability. Even though property values have fallen generally, some ratepayers will gain while others will lose from the process of redistribution but, overall, revaluation results in a fairer distribution of the rates burden.
Under Irish law, there is a distinct separation of function between the valuation of rateable property and the setting and collection of commercial rates. The amount of rates payable by a ratepayer in any calendar year is a product of the valuation of that property determined by the Valuation Office and the annual rate on valuation (ARV) set annually by the elected members of the rating authority. Revaluation is the mechanism whereby movements in property valuations as a result of economic factors are reflected in valuation lists. Following the first revaluation in each area, the Valuation Act 2001 provides for subsequent, recurring revaluations to be carried out at intervals of a minimum of 5 years and no later than 10 years. Accordingly individual valuations are fixed for a 5-10 year period. On the other hand the ARV can, as determined by the elected members of the rating authority, vary from year to year and therefore so can the amount of rates payable annually.
Valuations reflect the value of all individual properties in particular rating authority areas at the statutory valuation date (28th October 2011 for Waterford). Movements in valuations since the last date by which valuations were set (1988) reflect the relative changes to rental values within and between sectors such as retail, industrial and hospitality between 1988 and 2011. Accordingly some businesses will have an increase in their rates liability while others will experience a decrease following revaluation.
In relation to particular cases there is a well established statutory process whereby a ratepayer, if he or she considers that the proposed valuation or any of the details contained in the Proposed Valuation Certificate are incorrect, can make representations to the Valuation Manager.
In keeping with the principle of separation of function between the valuation of rateable property and the setting and collection of commercial rates the imposition of limits on the amount of rates that a rating authority can raise is generally a matter for decision by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and does not come within the competence of the Commissioner of Valuation whose sole responsibility lies in administering the system of rateable valuation as underpinned by the Valuation Act, 2001. However, in so far as the valuation legislation is concerned, there is a specific provision in the 2001 Act which allows the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to make an order requiring a rating authority to exercise its powers to make rates in such a manner that it does not exceed the amount of rates liable to be paid to it in the first year following a revaluation except for any increase determined by the consumer price index.
The application of a moratorium to a revaluation because of local authority amalgamation considerations is not provided for under the Valuation Act, 2001, as the application of such an option would not affect the valuation process. The Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government, Putting People First, indicates that in the context of reorganisation of local governance structures, the proposed new municipal districts will provide an opportunity to achieve a more coherent approach to rates and charges on a county-wide basis, having regard to funding requirements and the need to support employment and business competitiveness.
The Action Programme proposes rates harmonisation to cater for differences between Annual Rates on Valuation (ARVs) of towns and counties. The approach of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to rates harmonisation will seek to ensure, that harmonisation does not lead to significant net loss of revenue in individual counties with consequential implications for services, and that any change in rates does not impact negatively on businesses and employment. It is important that local government reform drives down costs to business in order to protect existing jobs and sustain our economic competitiveness.
Definitive details, arrangements and procedures in relation to the funding of district level functions, and financial relationships between district and county levels, will be developed in the context of the new local government funding arrangements generally, implementation of the new sub-county system and preparation of the legislation in relation to the reform programme.
124. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an estimate of the current number of vacant properties, by county, which are in the ownership of the State and under the management of the Office of Public Works inclusive. [31163/13]
View answerThe number of vacant State-owned properties per county is listed as follows:
|
County |
|||
|
Carlow: 1 |
Cavan: 5 |
Clare: 10 |
Cork: 19 |
|
Donegal: 11 |
Dublin: 36 |
Galway:13 |
Kerry: 15 |
|
Kildare: 3 |
Kilkenny: 5 |
Laois: 4 |
Leitrim: 7 |
|
Limerick: 12 |
Longford: 3 |
Mayo:11 |
Meath: 4 |
|
Monaghan: 5 |
Offaly: 3 |
Roscommon: 7 |
Sligo: 5 |
|
Tipperary: 7 |
Waterford: 3 |
Westmeath 5 |
Wexford 3 |
|
Wicklow 2 |
Louth 4 |
The majority of vacant State-owned properties are comprised of the recently closed Garda stations that are no longer required for operational reasons. The remainder consist of customs posts, coastguard stations and sundry other properties.
The Commissioners of Public Works are currently assessing the options arising in respect of vacant State-owned buildings. This assessment will include other potential State uses for the properties. If and when properties are considered surplus to requirements, the Commissioners will consider options, including disposal on the open market and where applicable, viable local proposals.
125. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual cost to the Exchequer, across all Departments, of maintaining Farmleigh House, Dublin; and the number of overnight State visitors, high-level meeting delegates, and members of the public who attended events there in the years 2010 and 2012. [31165/13]
View answerThe following are the figures requested by Deputy Deasy.
Annual Operational Costs
2010
Operational and maintenance costs 2,805,515
Gas and Electricity €150,341
2012
Operational and maintenance costs €2,798,623
Gas and Electricity €182,668
Overnight State Visitors
2010 President of Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
2012 OSCE, King Letsie III of Lesotho
|
- |
High Level Events |
Numbers Attending |
Public Visitors |
|
2010 |
89 |
6047 |
267,904 |
|
2012 |
39 |
2297 |
375,064 |
