Written Answers Nos. 230 - 246
230. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills the financial grant provisions he has put in place to support young unemployed persons to complete the final job phase of an apprenticeship through institutes of technology as similarly provided for low income households with regard to third level education. [1232/14]
View answerThe Annual Student Contribution is levied on students attending Institutes of Technology. The amount due in respect of full time students for the academic year 2013 / 2014 is €2,500. The contribution has been levied by Institutes of Technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS/SOLAS paying part of the contribution and apprentices themselves paying the part relating to examination fees. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS will cease making payments to Institutes of Technology and apprentices will pay the full pro rata Annual Student Contribution. This is a decision taken in the context of the overall savings this Department had to find for 2014 and future years.
Apprentices will pay the same contribution as students, apportioned for the time they spend in the Institutes. The vast majority of apprentices will pay €833 for phases in the 2013/14 academic year. Apprentices are not eligible for grants under the Student Grant Scheme as they do not meet the funding condition of participating in an approved full-time course in an approved institution. However, unlike students, apprentices are paid a training allowances by SOLAS for phases of their training spent in Institutes of Technology. This allowance is equivalent to the wages they receive from their employers for on the job phases and is unaffected by the budgetary changes.
232. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will meet a delegation from the three secondary schools in Ennistymon regarding amalgamation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1248/14]
View answerMy Department previously acquired significant lands in the Ennistymon area. However, in order to have a site suitable for the development of a building for the new amalgamated school, additional land is required. The Congregation that owns existing school properties in Ennistymon has offered to transfer the properties concerned to the State as part of its offer made in response to the publication of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (the Ryan Report). The Government has agreed to accept this and a number of other properties offered by the Congregation. The land in question, together with the lands already in the ownership of the Department, will be sufficient to meet the overall site requirements of the new school.
The Department through the Chief State Solicitor's Office is currently working with the Solicitors acting on behalf of the Congregation concerned on the legal procedures and mechanisms required to facilitate the transfer of this additional land. When the transfer of the property has been completed, my Department will be in a position to further consider how this project could be progressed within the context of the available funding. Such consideration will involve liaison by my Department with the schools concerned. In the circumstances, a meeting with the schools concerned would be considered premature at this time.
233. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a mechanism available to a mature student to recommence a course at degree level, if they already have a masters qualification, to improve their employment prospects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1258/14]
View answerThe position is that under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Schemes the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing their first undergraduate full-time course of study which must be a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. Students who already hold a qualification (at degree level or above) do not qualify for funding under the schemes. However, where a student is unemployed they may qualify under the Springboard programme which targets funding of free part-time flexible higher education courses up to masters degree level for unemployed and previously self-employed people in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities.
Springboard places are open to unemployed people who have a previous history of employment and there is no requirement that a person be progressing on the National Framework of Qualifications. Further information on Springboard, including a list of courses that are currently open for application, is available on the dedicated information and applications website: www.springboardcourses.ie.
234. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide any changes made to any accommodations scheme administered by the State Examinations Commission for students with dyslexia that may result in them being deducted marks for spelling mistakes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1303/14]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations.In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
235. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a special needs assistant in respect of a child (details supplied). [1313/14]
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, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department. 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 allocations for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2013/2014 school year in June of this year. The NCSE has also now published details of the additional SNA allocations which have been made to schools since the initial allocations were made to schools in June. The NCSE published details of these revised allocations on 21st October, 2013. These details are now available on the NCSE website, www.ncse.ie, and detail the allocations made for each school on a per county basis.
The NCSE allocates a quantum of SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support. The deployment of SNAs within schools is then a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
Schools can contact the NCSE if they have enrolled children who were not considered at the time that the revised SNA allocations were made to schools, or where they are seeking a revision to the quantum of SNA support which has been allocated to them. In general, a revision to SNA allocations will only be made in circumstances where schools have enrolled new pupils, or where schools can demonstrate that they do not have sufficient SNA posts to cater for the care needs of all of the qualifying children in their school. The NCSE will also shortly be inviting schools to make applications for SNA support for the coming 2014/15 school year and will consider applications for support for new pupils enrolling to schools. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
236. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will arrange for requested information to be supplied to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1323/14]
View answerA UA/UB 32 Details of Earnings (DSP Form) was completed by my Department in respect of the individual referred to, and sent directly to the Department of Social Protection offices in Enniscorthy on 30/08/2013. On the 11/03/2013 a UP 16 4/10 and a UP38 (7/06) (DSP Form) were completed and sent to the home address of the person referenced. There are no outstanding requests in regard to the person referred to, for the period of her payment as a Special Need Assistant on the payroll operated by my Department. If additional information is required, contact should be made with the Non Teaching Staff payroll section of the Department in Athlone, Co. Westmeath and my officials will supply any requested information.
237. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) will be provided with a new building as at present the school consists of a number of portacabins. [1350/14]
View answerResponsibility for the delivery of a new 16 classroom school referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the Office of Public Works. The project is at the early stages of architectural planning and is one of the school projects approved to proceed to construction in 2014 that I announced last November. When construction will commence will be dependent on the progress of the project through the various stages of design and the local authority planning process.
238. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide, in tabular form and year on year, the occasions on which he has signed off on the awarding of added years to public sector workers between March 2011 and December 2013; the grade of the persons awarded the added years; and the number of added years awarded in each instance. [1358/14]
View answerThe following table provides details of Professional Added Years awarded in five Universities and in the Institutes of Technology, with my approval. Added years are only awarded to staff in universities strictly in accordance with the rules of the pension schemes. Individual cases are evaluated by officials in accordance with the pension scheme rules in the Departments of Education & Skills and Public Expenditure and Reform as agreed by the Ministers. These are awarded in accordance with the pension scheme rules of the relevant body. The details provided relate to awards approved since the transfer of the schemes to the NPRF in 2009/2010 up to December 2013. The funded pension schemes of NUIG, Trinity College, UCD, NUIM and UCC were taken over by the National Pension Reserve Fund in 2009/2010 under the Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. Following the transfer of schemes all discretions, including the award of Professional Added Years are exercisable jointly by the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The discretion to award added years have been exercised strictly in accordance with the rules of the schemes. The Institutes of Technology Professional Added Years' awards are made in accordance with the rules of their pension scheme and the details relate to the same period.
|
Grade |
Actual Number of Years Awarded |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
5.2919 added years |
|
Lecturer |
4.42 addedyears |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
3.6881 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
1.69 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
3.3123 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
3.9227 added years |
|
Lecturer |
0.16 added years |
|
Lecturer |
8.13 added years |
|
Lecturer |
0.50 added years |
|
Lecturer |
0.6787 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1.6152 added years |
|
Lecturer |
3.7698 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
0.6028 added years |
|
Lecturer |
3.9008 added years |
|
Lecturer |
2 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
6.2321 added years |
|
Lecturer |
0.24 added years |
|
Lecturer |
3.6932 added years |
|
Lecturer |
0.8 added years |
|
Lecturer |
0.8082 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1 Added Year |
|
Lecturer |
2.676 added years |
|
Lecturer |
4.4757 added years |
|
Lecturer |
2 added years |
|
Lecturer |
4.8969 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
2.9887 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
5.9683 added years |
|
Lecturer |
4.1616 added years |
|
Lecturer |
3.972 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
4.7178 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
3.0767 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
6.1659 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1.0658 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
2.9976 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
1.4548 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
0.2 added years |
|
Lecturer |
4.5863 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
6.1049 added years |
|
Lecturer |
2.2342 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1.8298 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1.34 added years |
|
Lecturer |
4.8708 added years |
|
Lecturer |
6.5027 added years |
|
Lecturer |
1 added year |
|
Lecturer |
2 Added Years |
|
Lecturer |
4.8193 added years |
|
Lecturer |
0.49 added years |
|
Lecturer |
3.8493 added years |
|
Lecturer |
4.8191 added years |
239. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide, in tabular form and year on year, the number of commercial and non-commercial State agency board positions under the aegis of his Department filled from March 2011 to December 2013; the number of these positions that were publicly advertised; and the number of female appointments. [1374/14]
View answerFor the Deputy's information, details of Membership of Boards can be downloaded from my Department's website www.education.ie. This information is updated when any relevant changes occur. It should be noted that Board appointments, while made by me as Minister, are not in all cases made at my sole discretion. Individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations as specified in the relevant statute of the body concerned. It is also the case that in making any direct Ministerial appointments, I am not necessarily confined to those who make such expressions of interest but will ensure that all of those appointed have the relevant skills and competencies for the positions.
The information requested on the number of appointments made to State boards since March 2011, including the number of female appointments to each Board, is outlined in the following table. Overall, since March 2011 of those appointed 43% were female, i.e. of the 181 appointments made, a total of 79 were female.
|
Name of Board |
Number of appointments made to state boards since March, 2011 |
Number of positions advertised over which the Minister can directly appoint |
Appointments made from members of the public who applied through the PAS process |
Number of female appointments made to each board since March 2011 |
Year appointments made |
|
An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2012 |
|
An Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS) |
3 (Note 1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2011/2013 |
|
Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) |
14 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
2012 |
|
Higher Education Authority (HEA) |
10 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
2012 |
|
Irish Research Council |
12 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
2012 |
|
Léargas |
12 |
9 |
0 |
5 |
2012/2013 |
|
National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) |
12 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
2013 |
|
National Council for Curriculum & Assessment (NCCA) |
25 |
3 |
2 |
15 |
2012 |
|
National Council for Special Education (NCSE) |
13 |
13 |
2 |
6 |
2013 |
|
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) |
10 |
8 |
3 |
6 |
2012 |
|
Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF) |
9 |
9 |
3 |
4 |
2013 |
|
Skillnets Ltd |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2011/2012 |
|
State Examinations Commission (SEC) |
5 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2012 |
|
Teaching Council |
37 |
3 |
0 |
18 |
2012 |
|
An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna (SOLAS) |
13 |
13 |
9 |
5 |
2013 |
Note 1: Three interim appointments were made to the Board of Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS) in January 2013 before the agency was replaced by SOLAS, the new Further Education & Training Authority. Accordingly, these vacancies were not published on PAS. Appointments to the Board of FÁS were made after consultation with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
240. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form year on year the number of JobBridge interns taken on in his Department in 2013. [1390/14]
View answerMy Department has facilitated the following JobBridge internships:2012: 1 FAS Work Placement Programme internship completed; 2 JobBridge internships completed2013: 3 JobBridge internships completed; 2 JobBridge internships commenced (to complete in 2014)2014: 2 JobBridge internships recently advertised3 additional internships were advertised but no suitable candidates were available for selection.
241. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teaching positions that have been filled using the JobBridge internship scheme. [1407/14]
View answerJob Bridge is a national internship scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection. Annually, up to 8,500 work experience placements may be provided under the scheme in the private, public, voluntary and community sectors. Recognised schools and Education and Training Boards may participate in the scheme if they wish under Department of Education and Skills Circular 46/2011. A JobBridge internship may not be used to fill a current vacancy in a school, including a vacant teaching post or teaching post of responsibility. A person placed on an internship in a school under the scheme is not paid a salary from public funds. They continue to be paid Job Seekers allowance by the Department of Social Protection. The Department of Social Protection have informed us that there have been a total of 65 internships described as being 'teaching positions' since the commencement of the Scheme in July 2011 of which 27 were during 2013.
242. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 18 December 2013, when the capitation grant and the ancillary services grant are expected to be merged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1421/14]
View answerThe consolidation of the grants system for schools will require both administrative and Information Technology (IT) input in the development of a robust and efficient grant system. Progress on this initiative will depend on the availability of resources and the priority this project is allocated as against other IT projects being pursued by my Department. Accordingly, it is not possible to state when the consolidation of the grants system will be completed.
243. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for a revision of the school book rental scheme; and if those schools which have established schemes voluntarily will lose out in funding streams. [1426/14]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware from Budget 2014 that additional funding has been provided which will involve an investment of €15m to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that do not currently operate them. The Department will provide €5m in seed capital per annum over a three year period to such schools. It is my aim to ensure that every primary school in the country has a book rental scheme. Therefore, I am targeting schools with no schemes initially as to include all primary schools would mean that the funding would be so diluted that it would have little impact. However, should more funds become available I would like to extend the grants to others.
The Department will be contacting primary schools that do not currently operate a book rental scheme to advise them of the application process. Following receipt of applications from these schools it will be possible to determine whether any residual funding may be made available to other schools. I can confirm to the Deputy that the Department will continue to provide a book grant to all primary schools. This grant, which provided €7m to primary schools in 2013, can be utilised for the purposes of updating or expanding a school's existing book rental scheme.
244. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a summer works grant application in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1573/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications are currently being assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (59/2013) is available on my Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to publish a list of successful applicants in early 2014.
245. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite a mature student grant payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1576/14]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the grant application of the student referred to by the Deputy was awarded on 18th December, 2013. Students get paid as soon as possible after they submit their bank account details and their institutions confirm their attendance. I understand that the above details were submitted by the student referred to by the Deputy on the 10th January and SUSI is due to issue payment on 17th January, 2014.
246. Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reconsider the proposed location for the new post-primary Gaelscoil for Dublin, in line with his Department's assessment that the school should be centred in the Dundrum area. [1583/14]
View answer248. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a temporary site has been sought for the gaelcholáiste to serve the general Ballinteer/Stepaside area that will commence operation in 2014 under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta na Scoileanna Lán Ghaeilge, due to the urgency of this matter and the concerns of students, parents and teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1668/14]
View answer250. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will issue on the location for a new school (details supplied) in Dublin South; if temporary accommodation will be allocated for the coming school term starting September 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1694/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 246, 248 and 250 together.
My Department is working with the patron of the school in question to identify and secure suitable accommodation for the school's start up in 2014. In relation to the permanent location of the Gaelcholáiste, a number of options have been identified and are being progressed. Negotiations are ongoing and therefore given the sensitivities associated with land acquisitions, I am not in a position to comment further at this time.
