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Wednesday, 13 Nov 2013

Written Answers Nos. 59-64

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (59)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

59. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the recently announced €28 million for minor works grant scheme is additional capital expenditure for 2013; if so, what the level of capital expenditure in 2013 will now be in the wake of this; the impact of this on his Department's overall budget in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48415/13]

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Written answers

The overall capital allocation that my Department has for 2013 amounts to €432.750m. The Minor Works Grant which will issue to primary schools in the coming weeks and amounting to over €28m is part of my Department's allocation for 2013. It is expected that the full 2013 capital allocation will be expended by year-end.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (60)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

60. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the €40 million for the summer works scheme is additional to the €540 million allocated for his Department’s capital spending in the expenditure report for 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48416/13]

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Written answers

The expenditure arising on Summer Works Scheme 2014 will be drawn from within the €540m capital allocation that my Department has secured for 2014.

Teacher Redeployment

Questions (61)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

61. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to make changes to the qualifying criteria for the 2014 supplementary teaching panel; when his Department will be accepting applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48432/13]

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Written answers

The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. Thereafter, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from supplementary panels comprised of eligible fixed-term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers.

The arrangements for panel access for fixed term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers for the 2014/15 school year are set out in Department Circular 0057/2013 which is available on the Department website. The supplementary panel set up in accordance with the arrangements set out in this circular will be used for appointments to full-time permanent posts in primary schools but only where those posts are not otherwise required to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent and CID holding teachers. The closing date for application for access to the supplementary panel under the terms of the circular is Friday, 13 December, 2013.

School Management

Questions (62)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

62. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools not in compliance with Departmental circulars regarding school opening hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48438/13]

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Written answers

Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. In managing a school, the Boards is required to comply with the relevant provisions of the Education Act 1998 and the terms of Circulars issued by my Department.

The provisions in relation to minimum school hours are set out in my Department's "Time in School" Circulars; 11/95 (for primary schools) and M29/95 (for post primary schools).

At primary level a full day comprises a period of not less than five hours and forty minutes. At post-primary level the relevant circular provides that the minimum number of instruction hours per week is 28.

There is no requirement on individual schools to report their opening hours to my Department.

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Questions (63)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

63. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the anomaly where special needs assistants are paid for contracted hours during official school time but whose working day may start approximately 15 minutes before or after this official school time begins and ends. [48439/13]

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Written answers

The position regarding the working hours of full-time SNAs is as outlined in the standard SNA contract of employment, which was agreed by this Department, the Trade Unions (IMPACT and SIPTU) representing SNAs and the Management Bodies in 2005. In that context, the standard SNA contract has been designed to be flexible to cater for the different spectrum of working hours across all the various schools including primary, post-primary and special schools. No set hours were agreed but instead full-time SNAs are expected to work for the normal school hours in the school that they are working in, and in addition to be available for a period of time before and after school in order to help with reception and dispersal of children and preparation and tidying up of classrooms etc. These times are set locally by the school management and will vary from school to school depending on the requirements of the school.

In addition, all SNAs were required to be available for a number of days at the start and finish of each school term not exceeding 12 in total. Under the Croke Park Agreement it was agreed to introduce greater flexibility to the use of these 12 days. These 12 days now equate to 72 hours (pro-rata for part-time SNAs) to be used by schools as an additional bank of hours to be utilised and delivered outside of normal school opening hours and/or the normal school year.

SNAs who are employed in a part-time capacity are paid a pro-rata amount dependent upon their level of hours of employment. Part-time SNAs are paid on the agreed divisor rate for pay purposes for part-time SNAs which is 32 hours.

Furthermore, the issue of appropriate working hours for all public servants was one of the key aspects of the set of proposals for a public service agreement which were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission and which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). The specific text of the Haddington Road Agreement relating to working hours for SNAs is as follows:"SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTS

Hours

Under the terms of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, discussions took place that led to agreement on changed attendance arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) that give schools the option of an additional two hours working time per week from each Special Needs Assistant. Under the terms of this Agreement on increased working hours in the Public Service, the available requirements in schools for additional hours for SNAs is quite limited. Given issues such as the duration of the school day and operation hours, and the specific availability of individual SNAs the details of the utilisation of any additional requirements should be the subject of further discussions.

These new attendance arrangements, allied to the provisions outlined in the above paragraph should be the subject of a review by the LRC in advance of the 2013/2014 school year, involving the Department of Education and Skills and IMPACT/SIPTU, in order to assess if the additional hours are being utilised in the most effective and appropriate manner and in order to achieve agreement on any changes deemed necessary in terms of the arrangement agreed for teachers.This will constitute the liability on Special Needs Assistants in respect of working hours for the purposes of this extension to the Public Service Agreement."

Student Grant Scheme Applications

Questions (64)

Tom Fleming

Question:

64. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite a student grant application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48440/13]

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Written answers

Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy his application is currently awaiting review following receipt of requested documentation. SUSI will advise him directly of the outcome of the review.

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