Written Answers Nos. 382-399
382. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding funding for a national school (details supplied) in County Cork to replace prefabs with permanent accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38279/13]
View answerAll schools included in Phase II of my Department's Prefab Replacement Initiative including the school referred to by the Deputy, will be informed of decisions reached in relation to their building projects shortly.
384. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that the majority of Ireland's seven universities dropped places in the QS world university rankings table; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38305/13]
View answerIn 2013 QS Rankings, Ireland again sees two of its eight top institutions featuring in the top 200, or top 1% out of some 15000 universities worldwide. All seven universities and Dublin Institute of Technology feature in the top 600 worldwide. Both Trinity College Dublin and National University of Ireland, Galway have improved their performance on last year's results. They are to be congratulated, but it should be noted that a range of factors can influence an institution's placement from one year to another across the various different ranking systems, having regard to the different criteria employed and the relative performance of other institutions. There can be significant debate around the relative importance attached to rankings criteria and on their capacity to fully capture the quality of what is on offer in higher education institutions. QS have been criticised for their reliance on highly subjective reputational surveys used for the reputation indicators. In Ireland's case it is likely that the perceptions of those surveyed will also have been influenced by external factors, including the wider economic crisis. QS use the student faculty ratio as a proxy for the quality of teaching and learning in our institutions and this indicator has been inevitably effected by the reality of Ireland's economic situation which presents challenges right across the public sector, including higher education. Delivering high quality higher education for a growing proportion of our population in this context will mean that we need to maintain a clear focus on system performance overall rather than a narrower focus on individual institutional performance. However, it is recognised that league tables are referenced by international investors, employers and students as a marker of quality across systems and as such they cannot be ignored. While some higher education systems have invested heavily in elite institutions and adopted a policy of differentiated support for different tiers of institutions, in Ireland our focus is on advancing performance across an accessible and diverse system of institutions. This policy which promotes participation in high quality higher education provision is paying dividends for Ireland's growing competitiveness. Ireland performs well against many international benchmarks and is ranked first in EU and fourth in OECD for higher education attainment rates of our 25-34 year olds. Our high numbers of young graduates has led Ireland to be ranked 3rd for the availability of skilled labour in this year's IMD World Competitiveness Survey. This follows the positive findings of the 2012 Talent Shortage Survey conducted annually by the Manpower Group, which ranked Ireland as the global leader for the availability of skills and the least difficult location, globally, in which to find talent.
385. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if St. Michael's House has received a lease from the vocational education committee at Greendale School, Dublin 5; and the position regarding the tenancy of a club (details supplied). [38316/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the property to which he refers has been leased to the City of Dublin Education and Training Board. I understand that the ETB is working closely with the club to which he refers in relation to finalising a user agreement for the ongoing use of part of the property. I understand that, as yet, no lease has been agreed with St. Michael's House in relation to the part of the property occupied by them.
386. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will indicate the way a student may avail of free travel when there is no bus service to the school in their catchment area but there is a service to a school outside their catchment area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38333/13]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's 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 my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. An eligible child for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant (RAG) towards the cost of private transport arrangements. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that the child in question is not attending his nearest education centre and is therefore not eligible for school transport. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of a conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and the payment of the annual charge.
387. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding teacher de-registration in respect of a person (details supplied) in Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38348/13]
View answerThe Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility under the Teaching Council Acts 2001 to 2012 for the registration of teachers. It is obliged to apply its regulations for the registration of teachers in a consistent and fair manner. The Council's actions when dealing with registration and renewal of registration are determined entirely by its founding legislation, the Teaching Council Acts (Section 34). Where a person no longer meets the criteria for registration, for example for non-payment of fees, the registration may lapse. While individuals may reapply to be entered on the Register, a full application under Section 31 of the Teaching Council Acts is required. Section 30 of the Teaching Council Acts, which is due to be commenced on 1 November, will require teachers to be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from public funds, except in the most exceptional circumstances, as set down by regulation. Any person who will be affected by the implementation of Section 30 and who has not yet done so should apply to register with the Teaching Council without delay.
390. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that there will be no delay in processing higher education grants this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38365/13]
View answerI am informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that in preparation for the 2013/2014 Academic year the application assessment process was further developed to enhance effectiveness and efficiency and respond to experiences from year 1. In addition, a number of new initiatives have been implemented as recommended by the independent review by Accenture. The initiatives include direct information sharing between SUSI and Government bodies and agencies including the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social Protection, the General Register Office (GRO) and the Central Applications Office (CAO). These links should reduce significantly the number of documents required from students in processing their grant applications. SUSI introduced a self-service online application tracker. This now allows all applicants (new and old) to identify the status of their application personally, by tracking their application online. SUSI is also working closely with all third level institutions to improve the payments process.
391. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on plans to develop a new education campus at Ballinrea, Carrigaline, County Cork; the new school facilities that his Department intends to develop on the site which has been acquired; the size of the site that has been acquired; if it is sufficient in size to meet the needs of his Department; the steps achieved to date and the remaining steps in the process to complete the campus project; if he will provide an update on the patronage of each of the schools; when he expects these schools to be on site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38368/13]
View answerThe delivery of a new Education Campus at Carrigaline has been devolved to Cork Education & Training Board. The Campus will consist of a 24 classroom Gaelscoil, a 500 pupil Gaelcholaiste and a 7 classroom Sonas Special School. The site for the proposed Campus is 8.5 hectares (21.1 acres) and the Department is of the view that the site is sufficient to cater for the accommodation needs of all three schools. The Campus will consist of a 24 classroom Gaelscoil, a 500 pupil Gaelcholaiste and a 7 classroom Sonas Special School. Cork Education and Training Board has appointed a Design Team and the project is currently in the early stages of architectural planning. When the Campus has been designed the project will proceed through planning and then to tender and construction. All three school projects were included in the 5 Year Construction Programme announced in March 2012 and are scheduled to commence construction in 2014/2015. The Patronage of the three schools is as follows: Gaelscoil Carrigaline - Catholic Bishop of Cork & Ross Gaelcholaiste Carrigaline - Cork Education & Training Board Sonas Special School - Brothers of Charity.
392. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the progression stipulation of the student support scheme regulations is impacting negatively on mature students who are seeking to avail of qualifications at the same level of an existing one in a different sector which has more employment opportunities; and if consideration will be given to introducing a one-off opportunity for prospective students to receive support to enrol in a course at the level of an existing qualification with the provision that it be in a different sector. [38369/13]
View answerTo satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another, where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course. The objective of this policy is to help as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study. Given the level of demand on the student grant budget from first time students and students that are progressing with their studies to a higher level, there are no plans at present to change the arrangements in place.
393. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a detailed update, including a description of the works planned or under way, on development projects at schools in a town (details supplied) in County Cork. [38376/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department approved funding to the primary schools to which he refers under the Prefab Replacement Scheme in 2012. The school authorities subsequently submitted an alternative proposal that included consolidating accommodation on to a single site. My officials met with both schools to discuss their proposal and are continuing to liaise with the school authorities in this regard. The position relating to the post primary school referred to is that a large scale extension project commenced on site in February 2013. The project consists of the construction of 14 new classrooms, a new P.E. hall, ancillary accommodation, alteration works to the existing building and external works. It is envisaged that the project will be completed in the first quarter of 2014. The current status of all projects on the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this will be updated regularly throughout the year.
394. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will include illness benefit as an eligible payment for the special rate of maintenance grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38378/13]
View answerThe qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant in the 2013/14 academic year as specified under the 2013 student grant scheme is as follows: 1. Student must qualify for the standard rate of grant; 2. Total reckonable income net of income disregards and Child Dependant Increase must not exceed €22,703; 3. As at 31st December, 2012, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme. Illness Benefit is considered to be a short-term social welfare payment and, therefore, it is not included as an eligible payment for the purposes of the special rate of maintenance grant. It is not proposed to depart from the existing arrangements for the determination of the eligibility for the special rate of maintenance grant.
395. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to the post-primary school transport scheme, if the eligibility rule requiring a pupil to live at least 4.8 km from the nearest school is set aside if there is no bus route to that nearest school but there is a bus route to another appropriate school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38391/13]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's 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 my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. The terms of scheme are being applied equitably on a national basis. An eligible child for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant (RAG) towards the cost of private transport arrangements. Children who are not eligible for school transport, to their school of attendance, may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of a conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and the payment of the annual charge.
396. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the leaving certificate chief examiner has to ensure that exam results for each subject fit within a bell shaped curve statistical chart in order that the spread of grades is balanced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38406/13]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
397. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the leaving certificate examiner would mark a student's grade down considerably to ensure that the statistical chart for that subject is balanced to fit within the bell-shaped curve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38407/13]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
398. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total cost per annum to the supervision and substitution scheme in the education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38409/13]
View answerThe supervision scheme provides for a payment in respect of supervision/substitution duties carried out by teachers and by personnel employed solely as supervisors by Boards of Management. The annual cost in 2012 (excluding employers PRSI) was: Primary €57.0 m Post Primary (excluding schools under the ETB's) €31.6m.
399. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that universities and institutes of technology are increasing their fees for postgraduate courses each year in view of the fact that the average postgraduate course now costs between €5,000 and €14,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38426/13]
View answerHigher education institutions are autonomous bodies and the criteria governing the level of tuition fees to be charged in relation to postgraduate study is determined by the institutions and accordingly I have no role in relation to the matter. Under my Department's student grant scheme, those who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant are eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270 or a postgraduate student may qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the cost 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 paid. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners.
