Written Answers Nos 163-176
163. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if AIB has any plans to outsource certain jobs from Ireland over the next number of years as part of Project Orion; if he will provide details of this project including the cost, the number of jobs involved and the functions that may be transferred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53063/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware under the Relationship Framework the State does not intervene in the day to day operations of the bank or their management decisions regarding commercial decisions. I have been informed that AIB has previously indicated that as part of its restructuring plan to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, outsourcing of certain functions would be considered in consultation with the IBOA and affected staff.
164. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if the Central Bank data on mortgage arrears can be subdivided into accounts who have historic arrears and those which are continuing to accumulate arrears; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53129/13]
View answer165. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if the Central Bank data on mortgage arrears which indicates that 79% of restructured mortgages are meeting the terms of the restructure; if this data can be broken down by type of restructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53130/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 165 together.
The Deputy will be aware that the Central Bank recently published mortgage arrears and restructure statistics for the quarter ending September 2013 (http://www.centralbank.ie/press-area/press-releases/Pages/ResidentialMortgageArrearsandRepossessionsStatisticsQ32013.aspx ). While this data shows, inter alia, the mortgage accounts that have accumulated arrears and also the amount of those arrears, the Central Bank has informed me that it does not publish data on how the arrears accumulated. However the Deputy will note from the Central Bank’s recent publication that of the 80,555 PDH mortgage accounts categorised as restructured, almost 80 per cent were deemed to be meeting the terms of their arrangement and so were not accumulating new arrears. In the BTL category, 78 per cent of the 21,607 restructured accounts were meeting the terms of their restructure arrangement.
Regarding restructure type and the portion of which individual type are meeting the terms of the restructure arrangement, the Central Bank has advised that while it does publish a breakdown of the total restructures, it does not publish a further breakdown in the format requested by the Deputy.
166. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Finance the amount his Department gives to Irish charities; the names of each organisation that receives funding; the amount each organisation receives; the number that are open and transparent regarding salaries; and the steps he is taking to deal with non-disclosures. [53550/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy could not be collated in the time available. My Department will respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
167. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding will be available to a hairdresser and beauty therapist who hopes to train students with mild and moderate special needs to undertake work experience and courses in this regard. [52726/13]
View answerPersons and companies who wish to apply for the allocation of places through the former FÁS contracted training provision should contact their local Training Centre for information. These training centres are currently part of SOLAS, the new further education and training authority, but will be transferring to the newly established education and training boards during 2014.
168. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) with 28 years experience as a welder-fabricator was, after a four-month delay, denied a certificate by FÁS recognising their qualifications thus denying them a job opportunity abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53012/13]
View answerThis is a day to day operational matter for SOLAS. I am informed that SOLAS was contacted by a representative of the individual in question in relation to obtaining a craft qualification. The representative was advised that, as the individual was not registered as an apprentice, the only route available for him to attain a craft qualification was through the apprenticeship system. The steps which would be necessary for him to take were outlined as follows: 1. Secure employment with a FÁS registered employer 2. Register as an apprentice with FÁS 3. Submit an application for recognition of prior learning (RPL) with a portfolio of evidence outlining his experience and training 4. Complete the balance of the apprenticeship for the award of the QQI Advanced Certificate - Craft
On 16th July 2013 an appeal application was received. This appeal application was considered by the National Apprenticeship Appeal Committee on 15th October 2013, at which they endorsed SOLAS' decision. The individual in question was advised of the outcome of the appeal on 17th October 2013.Following a further representation to the Tralee Training Centre on 4th December 2013, the person in question has been requested to contact the Training Centre Manager to arrange an assessment of his current range of skills, with a view to completing the appropriate welding test leading to industry standard welding certification.
169. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the feeder area of a school (details supplied) has been changed, or is to be changed; the criteria which were used to make the said change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52470/13]
View answerThe feeder area for the school to which the Deputy refers remains the same. There is an Irish language school already located in the area. The question of location for the school in question was considered in the context of providing access to both Irish language schools to the greatest number of pupils across the area.
170. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the FETAC and FÁS arbitrary increasing of fees for special purpose certification without a reasonable notice period that affects essential health and safety training on the FÁS construction skills certification scheme and is passing the burden of the increase on to small business and training providers; and his plans to address the matter. [52478/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, FETAC was dissolved in November 2012 and its functions were assumed by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), an amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance body covering both further and higher education and training.Since its establishment, QQI has been undertaking a comprehensive policy development programme, involving structured consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, in order to formulate the policies and criteria required for the performance of its functions. QQI adopted a number of revised policies in September and also determined the related fees. Under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012, QQI must receive the consent of both the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to the fees which it determines, and that consent was granted in October.
With regard to the introduction of fees for Level 4 Special Purpose awards, the revised fees schedule provides that fees are to be charged for the first time for all Level 4 QQI awards, as they already are for all Level 5 or 6 awards. The fee has also been set at the same level as the relevant fee for Level 5 or 6 awards. It should be noted that in 2012 FETAC made approximately 50,000 awards at Level 4, out of a total of approximately 300,000 awards. Given the costs to QQI of certification and of the maintenance of awards standards, it is not sustainable for QQI to continue to make these awards at no cost.
In order to give adequate notice to learners and providers, QQI has deferred the introduction of these new certification fees until 1 July 2014. Certification fees would usually be paid by learners themselves, rather than providers, and a system of waivers is in place. These waivers mean that recipients of social welfare benefits and/or Medical Card holders are exempt from fees. In addition, certain centres are exempt from fees, including Youthreach/VTOS.
171. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that documents sent by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare on 23 November 2013 have been received by Student Universal Support Ireland; if and when final determination in this case will be reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52488/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, the documents have been received. The student applied under a change of circumstances and further supporting documentation is required. The applicant will be contacted directly by SUSI and advised of the outstanding documents. When this information is received and considered, the student will be notified directly of the outcome.
172. Deputy Dara Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding will be made available for the refurbishment of a building to be transferred to the State (details supplied); when this funding will be released; when the building will be transferred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52556/13]
View answerThe legal arrangements associated with the donation of the building referred to by the Deputy for school purposes have now been concluded. The matter of progressing with a refurbishment project at the school in question is now being considered and my Department expects to be in a position to make contact with the school authority shortly.
173. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of students during each of the past ten years who have applied for higher education grants assessed on the basis they are estranged from their parents; and the number of these grants that were granted. [52571/13]
View answerThe process of assessing eligibility for student grants between 2003 and 2012 was carried out by 66 grant awarding authorities. The reporting systems in the grant awarding authorities do not collate the information in the format requested by the Deputy.
174. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of times each month since its establishment that Student Universal Support Ireland issues regular payments to students; the number of times SUSI have transferred money to a student in an emergency situation outside of the days where payments have been made automatically because of late processing of the application on the part of SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52572/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that payments are made on a regular monthly basis in arrears with students in higher education being paid on the third Friday of each month and student in further education receiving payment on the fourth Friday. The full payments schedule is published on www.susi.ie. At the start of the academic year as awards are finalised and confirmation of registration received from colleges, SUSI makes payments on additional dates to facilitate students who then enter the regular monthly payment process. SUSI does not have an emergency payment system.
175. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the Rules for National Schools book was last updated; his plans to update same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52573/13]
View answerThe Rules for National Schools were published in 1965 and over the course of the intervening period they have been updated, amended and supplemented mainly by circular letters but also by certain provisions of both primary and secondary legislation that have since been enacted. Given the many other more pressing work priorities and also the on-going changes in the primary education sector, my Department has no plans at present to prepare a consolidated version of the Rules to reflect the aforementioned changes.
176. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that when a student under 23 is estranged from their parents that Student Universal Support Ireland will only accept evidence of estrangement from a Health Service Executive social worker for the purposes of attesting to the veracity of the claim for the purposes of the student grant system; that students who do not have previous social worker involvement will be unable to comply with this, as a HSE social worker will not see them if they are over 18; the ways in which a student may prove their estrangement from their parents in the absence of ability to see a HSE social worker; and his plans to address this barrier to accessing education for students. [52589/13]
View answerFor student grants purposes, a student may be assessed as an independent student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved post leaving certificate course or an approved higher education course, or of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1 October. Otherwise he/she would continue to be assessed on the basis of his/her parents' income. In recognition of the fact that a student under 23 years of age can be estranged from his/her parents, it is possible under the student grant scheme, as an exceptional measure, for such a student to be assessed without reference to his/her parents/guardians income.
However, compelling independent evidence of estrangement must be provided to the grant awarding authority to enable this. The type of independent evidence includes a letter from a social worker or other appropriate officer of the Health Service Executive explaining the circumstances of the estrangement. Confirmation that a student is living separately from his/her parents/guardians is not sufficient.
A decision on grant eligibility is a matter for a candidate's local grant awarding authority in the first instance. The awarding authorities are obliged to satisfy themselves beyond doubt that an acceptable degree of proof is submitted by the grant applicant in establishing eligibility under all aspects of the scheme including estrangement. 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 will be available on request from SUSI. I have no plans at present to change the eligibility arrangements in respect of students under the age of 23 who apply for a student grant.
