Thursday, 3 Oct 2013

Written Answers Nos. 113-121

Literacy Levels

Questions (113)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

113. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made to date in his Department's implementation of the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020; if improvements have been made in literacy and numeracy levels among children and young persons here since the introduction of the strategy, particularly in the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41697/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Over the period since the launch of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy in July 2011, there has been significant progress under many of the 41 actions and almost 180 sub-actions. I have increased the time spent on literacy and numeracy at primary level and the revision of the English and Irish curricula is being prioritised in Junior Cycle Reform. Major changes are being made to initial teacher training and literacy and numeracy units are now in place in the National Teacher Induction Programme. School self-evaluation is being rolled out and I have introduced new requirements on standardised testing including the return of aggregate data to my Department. A national programme of professional development for primary and second level teachers is underway.

The Strategy provides for assessment of student progress in a number of ways including through standardised testing and ongoing participation in national and international studies. It is not proposed to disaggregate this data by county. At this point in the implementation of the Strategy data on student performance from testing is not available.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Questions (114)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

114. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of reversing the phased adjustments at primary level to staffing schedules for one, two, three and four teacher schools announced in budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41726/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

As part of the Budget 2012 decisions, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools is being gradually increased between September 2012 and September 2014. The target savings from this budget measure is 250 posts over the 3 year period. The Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities and my Department has expanded the existing appeals process so that it is accessible to the small schools that are affected by the budget measure. The detailed arrangements in relation to the appeals process are set out in the Department's Staffing Circular 0013/2013. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final. The context for any discussion about class sizes is that my Department, like all other Government Departments, is operating within a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. It is not possible to reverse the budget measure in relation to small primary schools. The 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. I recently received the report of the Value for Money Review of Small Primary Schools and I am currently considering it. I intend to discuss the report's contents with my Government colleagues. The Report will be published in due course following this consideration process.

Disadvantaged Status

Questions (115)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

115. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of reversing the cuts to rural DEIS schools introduced in budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41727/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I have no plans to reverse my decision on the withdrawal of posts from 16 rural DEIS schools as implemented under Budget 2012. Of the 328 DEIS Rural primary schools in 2012, these 16 schools lost one legacy post each. DEIS Rural Primary schools are not included for preferential pupil teacher ratios under DEIS, as generally, their rural location tends to ensure they have lower class sizes. DEIS rural primary schools continue to receive the following supports:

- Additional capitation funding based on level of disadvantage.

- Additional funding for schools books.

- Access to the School Meals Programme.

- Access to planning supports.

- Access to a range of professional development supports.

Third Level Funding

Questions (116)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

116. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of restoring third level grants to the level, in terms of rate, threshold and eligibility, that pertained prior to budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41728/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The estimated savings, at the time, from each of the Budget measures introduced in 2012 and 2013 were as follows:- The changes to postgraduate funding would yield some €6 million savings in 2012 and a full year saving (in 2015) of some €54.2 million. - The reduction of 3% in grant rates for all grant holders from January 2012 would yield a full year saving in 2012 of some €6.6 million. - The 3% reduction in income thresholds for student grants for the 2013/14 academic year would yield some €2 million saving in 2013 and a full year saving (in 2014) of some €5 million. My priority as Minister for Education and Skills is to preserve access to undergraduate higher education courses despite the difficult circumstances in our public finances. While it is regrettable that any changes needed to be made to student support, I believe the measures adopted will continue to provide resources for a relatively wide number of students and allow us to maintain the high level of supports provided to undergraduate students. I regret that I am not in a position to reverse or vary any of the overall necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012 and Budget 2013. I empathise with students and I am very conscious of the fundamental role played by the student grant scheme in supporting families who are putting their children through further and higher education. However, the state of the public finances is such that tough decisions had to be made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run.

Schools Guidance Counsellors

Questions (117)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

117. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of reversing the cuts to guidance counselling provided for in the 2012 budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41729/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department, like all other Government Departments, is operating within a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. It is not possible to reverse the budget measure in relation to guidance counselling. There are no easy solutions to this challenge. This Government has protected education as much as it can. Far greater reductions in the number of public servants are being made in other sectors relative to those in schools. But there are limits on the number of teaching posts we can afford.Guidance is a whole school activity and it does not just involve the guidance counsellor. Under existing arrangements each school develops a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students.

Since September 2012 guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. In this way principals have discretion to balance guidance needs with the pressures to provide subject choice. A framework document was published jointly by the Post Primary Management bodies and the NAPD (National Association of Principals & Deputies) in September, 2012 to provide guidance for school management in the allocation of teaching hours to guidance counselling in post-primary schools in the context of the decision in Budget 2012 to withdraw the provision of ex-quota guidance hours to schools. This should be of assistance to schools in terms of how they maximise guidance provision.

My Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations. All 195 second-level school in DEIS have been given targeted support by a more favourable staffing schedule of 18.25:1. This is a 0.75 point reduction compared to the existing PTR of 19:1 that applies in non fee-paying second-level schools (23:1 in fee-charging schools).

Special Educational Needs Expenditure

Questions (118)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

118. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of restoring resource teaching hours to the level that existed in 2010-11 and in 2011-12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41730/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including resource teaching allocations. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department. The Deputy will be aware that in June of this year, I confirmed that despite the fact that there had again been an increase in demand for resource teaching allocations this year, I had maintained the allocations for schools at the level which had applied for the 2012/13 school year. This allocation was 85% of the Special Education Review Committee (SERC) recommended resource teaching allocations. All schools were advised to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2013/14 school year by 15th March, 2013. The NCSE published details of all of their initial allocations for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2013/2014 school year in June of this year. These details are now available on the NCSE website, www.ncse.ie, which details the allocations made for each school on a per county basis. The NCSE allocated 5,284 whole time equivalent resource teaching posts to schools at this point. It should be noted that 700 of these posts are allocated to post primary schools to meet High Incidence and Learning Support needs. These posts remain allocated at 100% of the recommended levels. In order to meet any late demand for resource teaching support arising between 15th March, 2013 and the start of the school year, the NCSE requested all schools to submit outstanding applications for resource teaching support to the NCSE by 20th September, 2013. The NCSE is presently processing these applications and has estimated that up to 480 additional resource teaching posts will be required to meet demand in respect of valid applications received to 20th September 2013. If this estimate is fully realised, this would provide for a total allocation of 5,764 whole time equivalent posts. In order to restore resource teaching hours to the level that existed in 2011/12, which was 90% of SERC recommended resource teaching allocations, 6,062 posts would be required, which would require an additional 298 posts at an approximate additional annual cost of €17.9 Million. In order to restore resource teaching hours to the level that existed in 2010/11, which was 100% of SERC recommended resource teaching allocations, 6,657 posts would be required, which would require an additional 893 posts at an approximate additional annual cost of €53.5 Million.

Public Sector Staff Retirements

Questions (119)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

119. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form the number of persons affected by statutory retirement in the public sector in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41567/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

Information on the retirement ages of Public Servants is not held centrally. In the case of the Civil Service the numbers of staff retiring at 65 in the last 5 years will be forwarded to the Deputy when it has been collated. Information in respect of other groups of Public Servants should be sought from the respective Ministers.

National Parks Projects

Questions (120)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

120. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding the re-opening the Croppies Acre Memorial Park by the Office of Public Works; the progress that has been made in re-opening the park; the further difficulties that remain in this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41613/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The Office of Public Works and Dublin City Council have agreed in principle that the management and maintenance of the Croppies Acre Memorial Park will be undertaken by the Council. OPW awaits proposals from DCC regarding access and possible alterations to the park prior to formalising a licence arrangement, following which the park is expected to reopen to the public.

Departmental Staff Redeployment

Questions (121)

Seán Fleming

Question:

121. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding Government Departments that have staff numbers in excess of their employment control framework staffing numbers and where staff in these Departments apply for redeployment to another Department and are not being released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41621/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

It is a matter for the management of each Government Department to manage its staff resources including the re-allocation of surplus staff through redeployment mechanisms. Since the beginning of 2011 alone the numbers employed in the public service have fallen by more than 15,000. While this level of reduction has posed challenges across many areas, frontline services have been protected and in parallel there has been real and permanent reform of service delivery models to the benefit of citizens and businesses.

Redeployment has been an important enabler of this managed reduction of public service numbers. Since 2010 more than 10,000 surplus staff have been redeployed into areas considered a priority e.g. Garda Vetting. Moreover, in order to strengthen the redeployment process, the Haddington Road Agreement provides for revisions to the redeployment arrangements to ensure more flexible and faster redeployment both within and across sectors. This should further improve the flow of staff across the public service and ensure that suitably skilled staff are available to meet the identified organisational, operational and business needs of public service organisations.