Written Answers Nos. 89-95
89. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration is being given to the creation of a national book exchange policy to reduce costs on parents; and if he will report on the use of e-books accessed via tablet computers now being availed of in certain schools. [40026/13]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware I launched new "Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools" on the 28th January last. These Guidelines provide practical advice to primary and post-primary schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated. The aim of the Guidelines is to help as many schools as possible to start such book rental programmes. The publication of these Guidelines follows a survey of schools by the Department, and which I published in May 2012. This had a 99% response rate at primary level, and showed that 76% of primary schools operate a book rental scheme. At second level, the response rate was lower, at 44%. Of those which did respond, 88% of those in the VEC sector and 73% of those in the Community & Comprehensive sector operated a book rental scheme. I believe these results show that we have a good foundation to build on across the country. I hope that schools that are not yet operating book rental schemes will be encouraged to use the Guidelines to introduce them. If they do, it will result in substantial savings for parents. Schools which already have rental schemes can save parents up to 80% of the cost of buying new books. A special "Guide for Parents" was also published, to inform them of how the schemes operate and how parents can help schools to establish and run them. I have been very clear in my support for book rental schemes. All of us who are parents know how expensive textbooks can be and what a burden it places on already hard pressed families at the start of every school year. I am pleased to see the high level of book rental schemes in operation at primary level and I believe that these Guidelines will encourage this practice across all schools in our education landscape. I also published a Report on Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools and the Allocation of Textbook Grants by the Department of Education & Skills in May 2012. This report presented four policy options to encourage schools to establish textbook rental schemes. None of the options are ideal, each one involves a trade-off of advantages and disadvantages. I will continue to monitor the number of schools operating book rental schemes, and if it proves necessary consider further steps to encourage schools to do so. Many schools have adopted the use of ebooks and this is a decision for the schools themselves. In deciding whether to adopt ebooks there are many factors to be taken into account. The most important factor is to consider whether e-books will support the achievement of relevant learning outcomes and enhance the learning experience. E books have the potential to provide learners and teachers with many different ways of exploring the curriculum. The Professional Development Service for Teachers – Technology in Education (former NCTE) addresses the use of tablets and ebooks in its training courses and is available to advise schools on these issues and a comprehensive advice sheet will shortly be available on the PDST TIE website. Work is currently underway on a new ICT Strategy for schools and matters relating to the use of ebooks and use of digital content will be one of the key issues explored in that strategy.
90. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department issues guidelines on the imposition of voluntary contribution charges; and if it will be possible to encourage or mandate to provide a minimum time notice such as nine months in advance of changes to such contributions. [40027/13]
View answerApart from the recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised schools are not permitted to charge school fees. All other recognised schools are precluded from charging school fees. Voluntary contributions by parents of pupils in such recognised schools are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition. The timing and manner in which such voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management; however their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character.
91. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of educational psychological reports carried out in 2012 and to date in 2013 which are necessary to receive certain additional educational supports. [40028/13]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or where a NEPS psychologist is not available to a given school through a panel of private practitioners maintained under the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) which is administered by NEPS. The primary purpose of a psychologist undertaking individual case work with an individual child or student is essentially to identify underlying causal factors leading to poor educational, behavioural or social development in order to identify the most appropriate intervention for the particular individual where previous interventions by the school have not proven effective. The resulting report produced from this casework may, or may not, be used by school authorities to underpin an application to the NCSE for additional teaching supports and/or resources for the child or student in question (indeed a range of reports from medical practitioners and other clinicians may be used in this connection). This usage of the assessment report is not recorded by NEPS centrally – the main focus being the putting in place of appropriate interventions to ameliorate the particular difficulties faced by the child. By way of further explanation of the process used by NEPS I can inform the Deputy that in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention. This process has been embedded by NEPS psychologists in the Primary sector with the production by the Department of Special Educational Needs – A Continuum of Support guidance and resource materials which has been distributed to all schools since 2007/8. In late 2010 similar support documentation was produced in relation to Emotional and Behavioural difficulties in the Primary sector and in relation to a formal Post-Primary Continuum process. The continua described above all involve a graduated problem solving model of assessment and intervention in schools processes which moves from basic classroom based interventions to more specialised and individual interventions and comprise three distinct school based phases characterised as follows: Classroom Support – is an intervention which is co-ordinated by the Class Teacher and is carried out in the regular classroom, School Support - is an assessment and intervention process which is usually co-ordinated by the learning support/resource teacher working alongside the class teacher. Interventions at this stage will be additional to those provided through classroom support. School Support Plus – is generally characterised by the school requesting the involvement by the relevant external service (predominantly NEPS) in more detailed assessment and development of intervention programmes. This level of intervention is for children with complex and/or enduring needs and whose progress is considered inadequate, despite carefully planned interventions at previous levels. The staged model recognises that pupils present with a wide range of issues and difficulties and allows for their amelioration and intervention at the level most appropriate to the particular need. The continuum approach ensures that pupils presenting within this range are dealt with quickly and at the appropriate level. I can inform the Deputy that NEPS psychologists undertook individual case work with some 8,402 children or students and NEPS funded a further 2,068 assessments under the SCPA Scheme in 2011/12. In 2012/13 7,898 cases are currently recorded as undertaken by NEPS psychologists (this however is not the final figure and subject to update) and 2,167 assessment were funded in schools under the SCPA.
92. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will protect primary education in budget 2014, particularly on the class size issue. [40101/13]
View answerThe budget for education, including the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the forthcoming budget. The decisions in relation to such matters will be announced at budget time.The Government will endeavour to protect frontline education services as best as possible. However, this must be done within the context of bringing our overall public expenditure into line with what we can afford as a country. The challenge will be to ensure that the resources that can be provided are used to maximum effect to achieve the best possible outcome for pupils.
93. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is correct that fee charging schools are funding 7,000 teaching jobs and is it economic to reduce same. [40102/13]
View answerThe budget for education, including the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the forthcoming budget. The decisions in relation to such matters will be announced at budget time.The Government will endeavour to protect frontline education services as best as possible. However, this must be done within the context of bringing our overall public expenditure into line with what we can afford as a country. The challenge will be to ensure that the resources that can be provided are used to maximum effect to achieve the best possible outcome for pupils.
94. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a taxsaver ticket; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40120/13]
View answerThe Travel Pass Scheme, in Section 118 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, allows an employer to incur the expense of providing an employee with a bus/rail pass, without the employee being liable for benefit-in-kind taxation. The Revenue Commissioners have agreed that the benefit-in-kind tax exemption will apply in the context of salary sacrifice, that is, where an employee agrees to forgo or sacrifice part of his/her salary in lieu of the provision of the travel pass by the employer. The employee will not pay tax or PRSI on the remuneration sacrificed.
The travel pass scheme was introduced in the civil service from 1 January 2002.
Under the civil service terms and conditions an officer must be employed on a permanent/probationary basis at the date of application. An officer employed under a fixed term contract is also eligible to apply.
It is a condition of the civil service scheme operates on the basis of an annual option for the civil service. Accordingly, the officer is not able to cancel his or her participation in the scheme prior to the expiry of the one year period.
95. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form for the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013, the amount of funding the Office of Public Works has provided to Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council under the minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme. [39955/13]
View answerThe tables below show the amount of funding the Office of Public Works has provided to Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme in the years requested.
Dublin City Council
Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme
2011
|
Project Location |
Amount of Funding Approved |
Date of Approval |
Funding Drawn-down |
|
Dodder Estuary, Fitzwilliam Quay |
€400,000 |
25/03/11 & 06/10/11 |
€400,000 |
|
Raheny Village & Harmonstown Road |
€135,000 |
29/11/11 |
€17,200 |
2012
|
Project Location |
Amount of Funding Approved |
Date of Approval |
Funding Drawn-down |
|
Carrickfoyle Tce, Millbrook Tce, Lady's Lane, Kilmainham |
€225,000 |
15/05/12 |
€186,054 |
Fingal County Council
Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme
2011
|
Project Location |
Amount of Funding Approved |
Date of Approval |
Funding Drawn-down |
|
Aspen, Swords |
€54,000 |
02/08/11 |
€23,933 (works complete) |
|
Rolestown East |
€153,000 |
02/08/11 |
€26,174 (final draw down - construction by OPW direct works) |
2013
|
Project Location |
Amount of Funding Approved |
Date of Approval |
Funding Drawn-down |
|
Portrane / Rush (Coastal) |
€57,800 |
25/02/13 |
€0 |
|
The Grange, Malahide |
€93,600 |
13/05/13 |
€0 |
