Brendan Smith
Question:210. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills when funding will be allocated for a project (details supplied) in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35970/13]
View answerSchools Building Projects Expenditure
Questions (210)
Written answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has received an application for grant aid to facilitate refurbishment works at the facility in question. I understand that the applicant is giving further consideration to the request and my Department is awaiting contact in this regard. The matter can be considered when additional details have been provided to my Department.
Schools Building Projects Status
Questions (211)
Brendan Smith
Question:211. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the up-to-date position regarding the proposed building project for a school (details supplied) in County Cavan; the present stage of this project; when it is proposed that the project will move to the next stage; the likely timescale for construction to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35976/13]
View answerWritten answers
The school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. A meeting was recently held with the Board of Management and its design team where the stage 2(a) Submission was reviewed . Following this meeting, a revised Stage 2(a) submission is required before the project can be authorised to progress to stage 2(b) which would include obtaining statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents.
It is not possible to progress all projects within the Department's building programme to construction concurrently due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget. However, school building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which have not been included in the five year construction programme, but which were previously initiated will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in the future.
Schools Building Projects Status
Questions (212)
Brendan Smith
Question:212. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the up-to-date position regarding the proposed building project for a school (details supplied) in County Cavan; the stage of this project at present; when it is proposed to have the project proceed to the next stage; the likely timescale for the project to advance to construction stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35977/13]
View answerWritten answers
The school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. A stakeholders meeting was recently held where a revised Pre-stage 1 Submission was presented for the project. Following this meeting, the project was authorised to progress to Stage 2a - Developed Design.
It is not possible to progress all projects within the Department's building programme to construction concurrently due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget. However, school building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which have not been included in the five year construction programme, but which were previously initiated will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in the future.
Schools Building Projects Status
Questions (213)
Brendan Smith
Question:213. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the up-to-date position regarding the proposed building project for a school (details supplied) in County Cavan; the present stage of this project; when the project is likely to proceed to the next stage; the likely timescale for construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35978/13]
View answerWritten answers
The school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The project was authorised in March to proceed to Stage 2b - Detailed Design which involves obrtaining planning permission, fire certificate and disability access certificate and the completion of tender documents. When the relevant statutory approvals have been obtained and the stage 2b report submitted and reviewed my Department will contact the Board of Management with regard to the potential, at that time, for further progression of the project.
It is not possible to progress all projects within the Department's building programme to construction concurrently due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget. However, school building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which have not been included in the five year construction programme, but which were previously initiated will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in the future.
Student Grant Scheme Appeals
Questions (214)
Brendan Griffin
Question:214. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made on an appeal of a decision on a student grant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36082/13]
View answerWritten answers
Officials 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 16th July 2013 advising him that he was deemed ineligible to receive a grant. SUSI have confirmed that the applicant has not appealed this decision. 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.
School Transport Eligibility
Questions (215)
Willie O'Dea
Question:215. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the situation pertaining to children attending post-primary schools allocated on the central applications system in Limerick city which allocates schools that are not the nearest education centre as determined by his Department; if he will examine the case of an allocation of a place to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36084/13]
View answerWritten answers
Under the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Schemes on behalf of my Department, has advised that the child in question is not attending a school in her nearest education centre and is therefore not eligible for school transport.
Special Educational Needs Services Provision
Questions (216)
Seán Fleming
Question:216. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify, in cases where siblings are allocated home based July tuition for children with autism or severe to profound intellectual disabilities, if they will receive 25 hours tuition per week in line with school based provision; the maximum number of siblings that will be required to share home tuition; if account will be taken of a significant difference in age or ability when allocating hours for siblings; his Department's response if a family is unable to find a tutor to commit to providing the hours; the advice his Department sought on this change of policy; if there is a policy document underpinning these changes compared with practise in previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36088/13]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy will be aware that the July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible, home based provision may be grant aided.
The allocation of home based provision to siblings for July Provision is reflective of the school grouping principle. This is where one teacher is allocated to a class of six pupils at the appropriate educational level, primary or post primary. Accordingly it is considered appropriate, as in a school situation, that a tutor can provide tuition at the appropriate educational level to more than one sibling at that level simultaneously in the home. The school grouping principle does not purport to replicate or mirror all aspects of school based provision. The age or ability of siblings is reflected in their education level as determined by education and health professionals. In general where a child is receiving their education in a class setting with other children of mixed age and ability, this should carry through to their July Provision.
However in recognition of the differing needs of some siblings, separate allocations are considered on a case by case basis. Applications in this regard require supporting documentation including professional reports from a psychologist or a letter from the principal of the school detailing the existing arrangements currently in place for the respective children and providing reasons why they cannot be tutored together in the home. Therefore there is no maximum number of siblings that will be required to share home based tuition.
Parents who are experiencing difficulties in sourcing a fully qualified teacher have been advised to contact the officials dealing with their allocation as tutors with alternative qualifications and experience may be accepted in some instances, as has been the practice in previous years. Although the timeframe is short my officials have endeavoured to process any appeals or queries on tutor qualifications expeditiously. The Deputy may be aware that I recently requested the NCSE to prepare Policy Advice on the Educational Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. A wide consultation process will be a feature of the preparation of the advice and I have specifically requested the NCSE to consult widely with parents, professionals and other stakeholders and interested parties. The NCSE has commissioned research which will also inform much of the work in preparing the policy advice. It is expected that their report will be finalised in early 2015.
Information and Communications Technology Issues
Questions (217)
Catherine Murphy
Question:217. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is preparing his Department to adapt to, and make maximum use of, next generation technologies in information and communications in order to better enhance the interaction of his Department with the citizen and the internal functioning of his Department; if he intends to conduct a risk analysis in respect of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36102/13]
View answerWritten answers
For many years, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been crucial in enabling my Department provide key services including payrolls for serving and retired school employees, the On-Line Claims System, post-primary pupils database etc. With the ongoing need to further reduce the cost of delivering public services by streamlining current processes, rolling out shared services etc, ICT will play a major role in enabling my Department respond to such challenges. I can assure the Deputy that my Department's IT Unit is constantly assessing next generation technologies, relevant to this organisation.
Examples of current and recent projects include: Bandwidth improvements to the telecommunications infrastructure between my Department's main offices in Dublin, Athlone and Tullamore, has facilitated the replacement last year, of an aging telephone system, with a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system. Increased bandwidth has also been rolled out to my Department's 31 local/regional offices; A major PC upgrade programme is currently underway, in the three main offices, along with an upgrade to Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2013 and rollout of Unified Communications; A major project to upgrade the hardware (servers and Storage Area Network) and database software architecture underlying the Department's main datasets has just commenced; Work is ongoing on the development of PPOD (Post-Primary Online Data), an online application to facilitate the updating of post-primary pupil and school data. This application will be rolled out to all Post-Primary schools in late 2013; My Department launched its redeveloped website in mid-2012. This website includes a map-based find-a-school feature, improved search facilities and has since been enhanced to facilitate video, social media and surveys, such as school patronage etc.; An online application to facilitate Primary Schools submitting aggregate literacy and numeracy data was also implemented in late 2012; Business Intelligence solutions have been implemented on a number of existing datasets, for some business areas and work is continuing to broaden its use.
Many of the above projects were included in the Department's ICT Strategy for the period 2011-2013. Work is commencing on the development of the subsequent ICT Strategy for the period 2014-2016. This strategy will take account of next generation technologies relevant to this organisation and its customer base, in addition to public service wide policies as regards cloud computing, eGovernment, shared services, etc.
Institutes of Technology Expenditure
Questions (218)
Catherine Murphy
Question:218. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 302 of 11 June 2013, if he will outline the additional costs that would have been incurred in 2012/13 by each of the institutes of technology, including DIT, if they had not the ability under the Labour Relations Commission document to flex upwards by two lecturing hours above the current norms in each of the lecturing weeks of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36137/13]
View answerWritten answers
The information sought by the Deputy is contained in a report recently published on my Department's website on pay savings achieved and costs avoided in year three of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014.
Education Schemes
Questions (219)
Andrew Doyle
Question:219. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the Erasmus scheme and Eramus+ programme; if he will outline Ireland's contribution to this policy during the Irish EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36171/13]
View answerWritten answers
The Erasmus+ programme, worth approximately €16 billion over a seven year period, brings together all the current EU and international schemes for education, training and youth. For the first time, sports initiatives are included. The Irish Presidency brokered agreement on the programme with the European Parliament on 26th June last.
This new programme will focus on formal and informal learning across EU borders to improve the skills and employability of students, educators and workers. The new framework will provide an enhanced focus on student and educator mobility, reform of existing overlapping structures and greater co-operation in the field of education with non-EU countries. This new programme also includes a focus on the exchange of best practice in teaching and seeks to build strong partnerships between education and business to foster innovation and competitiveness while promoting employability. For the first time, sport will be a core component with a focus on grassroots activities, inclusivity and cooperation.