Written Answers Nos. 104-118
104. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the recent refusal of appeal for school transport in the case of the child of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51447/13]
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. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that the child in question is not attending her 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. Bus Éireann has advised that there are seats available on a service to the child's school for the 2013/14 school year.
Only children who are eligible for school transport and who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge. This case has also been the subject of an appeal to the School Transport Appeals Board which has made a determination in the matter. The parents have been notified of this decision. The School Transport Appeals Board is independent of my Department and it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in cases which have been considered by the Board.
105. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 10 is not eligible to receive a full student grant. [51486/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a postgraduate fee contribution of €2,000 and is ineligible to have his fees paid up to the maximum fee limit. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme 2013 postgraduate students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme will be eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. To qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions:1. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703. 2. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term social welfare payment prescribed under the scheme. Tax relief is also available on postgraduate tuition fees. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners. In addition to this, the Student Assistance Fund will continue to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need. 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 Grants Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form is available to download from www.studentfinance.ie.
106. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the extension to a school (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51487/13]
View answerThe school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. However, due the withdrawal of the Consultant Architect working on the project, a tender exercise to appoint a replacement Consultant Architect is required. This will commence shortly. Officials from my Department will keep the school informed of the steps involved in this process.
107. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons an allowance is not paid to persons that fill a co-ordinator's post on a temporary basis in adult education. [51523/13]
View answerThere is provision for payment of allowances to persons that fill certain co-ordinator posts in adult education either on a permanent or temporary basis. If the Deputy can provide details of any specific instance to which he is referring, I would be happy to provide further information.
108. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an award of full 100% non adjacent rate maintenance grant, plus 100% fees and student contribution issued to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51526/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded the full non adjacent maintenance grant. She is not eligible for a fee grant as she is studying in a college outside the state. It appears that the original grant award letter was sent in error. The Deputy will appreciate that some errors may inevitably arise when handling a high volume of applications within a relatively short timeframe. SUSI has also confirmed that they are awaiting hardcopy confirmation of registration, which must be stamped and signed by an official at the institute attended by the student, to enable payment of grant to proceed.
109. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Clare has been refused a spelling waiver; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51536/13]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations and in this case in relation to reasonable accommodation. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
110. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the application process for access to ACELS recognition is opening only for a temporary period; the way a language school can obtain ACELS recognition outside of those dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51591/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) was established through the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), HETAC and FETAC in November 2012. QQI assumed responsibility for the functions undertaken by those bodies including those functions, such as ACELS, which are carried out on an administrative basis. Since its establishment, QQI has been undertaking a comprehensive policy development programme, in order to put in place the policies and processes required to perform its functions under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012. During this process, QQI has prioritised the development of those policies required to allow new applications from providers who wish to have access to the awards of QQI, and those policies were published in October. QQI will continue to roll out its remaining policies over the coming months. The operation of ACELS will be discontinued by QQI when its policies relating to the Code of Practice for the provision of education to international learners, and the related International Education Mark (IEM), are established next year. The Code of Practice and IEM will place the recognition and monitoring of the English Language sector by QQI on a statutory footing. Given the expected timeframe for the establishment of those policies, QQI decided to re-open access to ACELS recognition for a temporary period until 31 January 2014, to accommodate those English Language Training Organisations (ELTOs) who were ready to apply and who had expressed an interest in gaining recognition for 2014. As ACELS recognition is granted on an annual basis, this period is sufficient to allow interested ELTOs to apply and, where appropriate, gain recognition for 2014. Recognition from 2015 onwards will be granted in the context of the Code of Practice and International Education Mark. However, it should be noted that ACELS recognised ELTOs will not have an automatic enititlement to use the International Education Mark, but will have to demonstrate compliance with the Code of Practice and related policies.
111. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of primary school places in an area (details supplied) in County Wicklow for the school year starting September 2014; the number of parents that have not been offered any school place in the locality; the amount of school places available in the locality; the actions he intends to take and if his Department has met with local schools to discuss this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51677/13]
View answerOfficials from my Department are in regular contact with the schools in the area referred to by the Deputy, and are continuing to monitor the situation to ensure that schools in the area can between them cater for all pupils seeking school places.
112. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an assistive technology application in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51701/13]
View answerI 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. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013. In order to qualify for equipment under the assistive technology scheme, a child must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the child to access the curriculum. It must also be clear that the existing I.T. equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs. I can advise the Deputy that an application for assistive technology support for the child referred to in this question has been received in my Department. I understand that my officials will be issuing a decision on this application as soon as quotations regarding the cost of the recommended equipment are received from the school in question.
113. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department encourages boards of management in receipt of funding for devolved projects to provide information on the successful tender to unsuccessful tenderers; if he will clarify whether issues of commercial sensitivity apply to freedom of information requests that relate to tendering processes which have been completed; if so, for how long after the process has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51743/13]
View answer114. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department discouraged a board of management of a school (details supplied) in County Clare in receipt of funding for devolved projects to provide information on the successful tender to unsuccessful tenderers. [51744/13]
View answer115. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm whether his Department was involved in a tender process this year carried out by a board of management of a school (details supplied) in County Clare which received funding for a devolved projects, specifically whether his servants or agents advised that a tender could not be accepted. [51745/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 113 to 115, inclusive, together. As the project in the case of the school, referred to by Deputy, was not a large scale capital project and was devolved to the school authority, my Department does not seek copies of the tender documentation, only confirmation that the lowest tender was successful. It is a matter for the school authority to ensure that best value for money has been obtained in sourcing the temporary accommodation and any associated works. The school authority is required to establish a process, record the details and make these available for audit purposes if required. The school authority is also obliged to advise the unsuccessful tenderers, if requested to do so, of the reasons that their tender was unsuccessful. Unsuccessful tenderers can be given information regarding the apparently successful tender but are not generally informed of their specific ranking in the list of unsucessful tenderers. In the interests of transparency and clarity, my Department has now contacted the school authority and advised it to issue all relevant information as feedback to each of the unsuccessful tenderers. For the Deputy's information, I wish to advise that while my Department is governed by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts, schools are not included within the ambit of that legislation.
116. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the facilities available from his Department to help English language primary schools provide an Irish language stream within their school. [51770/13]
View answerMy Department will consider applications from an English medium primary school wishing to establish an Irish language stream or sruth where the patron of the school has given consent to the establishment of such. Approval for the establishment of a sruth will be contingent on the availability of Irish medium education in the area, the impact that it might have on the enrolment of an existing Irish medium school and the demand for such within the school. A wide range of teaching and language resources are already available to support education through Irish at primary level. These include Séideán Sí, an integrated language programme for Irish medium schools that different Irish medium settings, including sruthanna or Irish language streams, can adapt to suit the needs of their pupils. The range of resources now available to support teaching through Irish in primary schools can be seen on the extensive resource directory published by COGG on its website www.cogg.ie.
117. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports provided by his Department to the Dyspraxia Association of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51804/13]
View answerI wish to advise to the Deputy that my Department does not provide direct funding to the Dyspraxia Association of Ireland. My Department provides for a range of services and supports to ensure that children with Special Educational Needs, including children with Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Delay, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. These supports include additional teaching and care support, enhanced capitation, specialist school transport arrangements, assistive technology and/or specialist equipment, adaptations for school buildings where necessary and additional training for teachers of children with special educational needs, including teachers of children with Dyspraxia. Children with Dyspraxia may be entitled to additional teaching provision in school, either under the terms of the general allocation system of teaching supports if the educational psychological assessment places the child in the high incidence disability category or through an allocation of additional resources if the child is assessed as being within the low incidence category of special need, as defined by my Department's circular. The precise level of support is determined by the special educational needs of the particular child. Guidance has been provided for schools on the manner in which they should use the resources that have been allocated to them to best effect. My Department's Circular 02/05, which issued to all Primary schools, provides guidelines in relation to the establishment of a staged approach to assessment, identification and learning programme planning for pupils with special educational needs. Guidance for schools is provided in the circular for each step of the staged process. In addition, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has produced guidelines for schools entitled 'Special Needs Education – A Continuum of Support' which describes the graduated problem-solving model of assessment and intervention in schools, which is available on my Department's website www.education.gov.ie. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. In particular, its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) co-ordinates special needs education provision at local level and arranges for the delivery of special educational services. The SENOs act as single points of contact for parents of students with special educational needs. Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools, teachers, psychologists, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in that area for children with special educational needs. All schools have contact details of their local SENO and it is also open to parents to contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs. The NCSE has recently published an Information Booklet for Parents of Children with Special Educational Needs, which is available on its website www.ncse.ie. Finally, the Department provides for support for teachers with additional training needs in the area of Dyspraxia. The Special Education Support Service (SESS) manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training needs. The SESS provides Continuing Professional Development (CPD) support for teachers of pupils with Dyspraxia through an Inclusive Learning Resource Teachers course as well as an online resource facility and an online book borrowing facility.
118. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a new school extension in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51854/13]
View answerThe school building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department is currently reviewing the different Design Options which have been submitted by the Design Team for the project. Once this review has been completed, my Department will contact the Board of Management with regard to the further progression of the project.
