Written Answers Nos 88-100
88. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of any damage to schools or educational facilities during the recent severe weather spell that he has been notified of and the cost to repair any damage. [1821/14]
View answerNo applications for funding have been received to date under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to have refurbishment works carried out as a result of the recent severe weather. All school buildings that are not covered by state indemnity are required to adequately insure their school premises including insurance for storm damage and if any of these schools were to be damaged by the storms my Department may not be notified as any damage caused would be a matter for schools' insurers.
89. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry has been asked to pay €593.28 or €1,054 for a full academic year in respect of their two children to get them on their school bus at their homes; the way the amount can be justified in view of the fact that the distance off the main route is less than 1 km and the drop-off collection point on the main route would be unsafe for the children and all other road users, and there is no other realistic option; if the amount in question would be waived in view of the fact that there is no safe option for the children on the main route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1824/14]
View answerSafety of children travelling on the school transport services is of paramount importance to my Department and to Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes and is also responsible for designating the pick up and set down points to be used by their bus services. Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 2.4 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Pupils living off the main route of a service are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route. Home pick-ups were never envisaged as being part of the Primary School Transport Scheme as the cost involved on a national level would be prohibitive. In relation to the children in question, Bus Éireann has identified an alternate suitable location for the bus to set the children down after school and advise that the distance to be travelled by the family to the pick up/ set down points is within guidelines. In the circumstances, a re-routing of the service at additional cost is not warranted. Parents of eligible children may, subject to certain conditions, pay for a route extension themselves. Accordingly, the family in question should continue to liaise with their local Bus Éireann office should they wish to proceed with a payable extension to the current service.
90. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the qualifications needed to teach as a learning support teacher and the reasons for these particular qualifications. [1832/14]
View answer91. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and his plans to address this anomaly. [1833/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 91 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that class teachers in schools are required to be fully-qualified with a qualification relevant to the sector in which they are teaching. It has been the policy of my Department for some time that only qualified and registered teachers should be employed by schools. This is set out most recently in Circular Letters 31/2011 and 0025/2013. Current recruitment procedures direct schools to ensure that teachers proposed for appointment to publicly paid posts must be registered with the Teaching Council and have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are proposed. In respect of Learning Support (LS) and Resource Teaching (RT) positions in primary schools, Boards of Management are obliged to recruit and employ fully registered primary teachers. Any posts that comprise an element of General Allocation hours and Low Incidence hours are regarded as LS/RT posts and must be filled by fully registered primary school teachers. Further guidance for schools on the organisation of Learning Support/Resource Teachers posts is provided in my Departments Circular SP ED 02/05: Organistaion of Teaching Resources for Pupils who need Additional Support in Mainstream Primary Schools. It is a matter for school authorities to employ teachers in accordance with the Department's policy in this regard and the deployment of teaching staff in the school is in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
92. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the funding for school buildings will be approved in respect of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13 to replace this existing school prefab buildings. [1843/14]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning, stage 2a, detailed design. On the satisfactory completion of stage 2a, and subject to no other issues arising, the project will progress to Stage 2(b) which includes applications for Planning Permission, Fire Safety Certification, Disability Access Certification and the preparation of tender documents. Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was not possible to include this project in the 5 year construction programme announced in March 2012.
School building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which were previously initiated but not included in the current five year construction programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in the future.
93. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will detail, in tabular form, the total photography costs for his Department since coming to office, inclusive of costs incurred from use of the ministerial allowance; the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1850/14]
View answerThe total photography costs for my Department since 9 March 2011 are set out in the document.
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Cost |
Occasion |
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€381.15 (€315 + €66.15 VAT) |
Copies of photographs of a school project and their use on an A1 display board which was submitted to the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland for the joint RIAI/Department colloquium on school design which was held on June 30th 2011 in Dublin. |
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€301.35 (€245 + €56.35 VAT) |
Photographs taken on June 12th 2012 and circulated to media on the occasion of the visit of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Marta Santos Pais, to participate in an international jury to oversee the design competition of a memorial to victims of childhood abuse in institutions in Ireland. |
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€154.98 (€126 + €28.98 VAT) |
Photographs of Minister Quinn with a representative of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland and 4 students on July 24th 2013 to publicise changes to third level fees to benefit migrant students. |
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€172.20 (€140 + 32.20 VAT) |
Photographs of Minister Quinn with the National Parents Council on September 6th 2013 to publicise funding for anti-bullying training for parents. |
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€154.98 (€126 + €28.98 VAT) |
Photographs taken of Minister Quinn with Brazilian students studying in Ireland on October 7th 2013 to publicise his trade mission to Brazil later that month. |
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€404.93 (€335 + €69.93 VAT) |
Photographs taken at the launch of the Digital Strategy for Schools on December 2nd 2013. |
The Department adheres to the National Procurement Service's photography framework in place for central government, local government and the health and education sectors. The Department endeavours to keep photography costs to a minimum.
94. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will detail, in tabular form, the use of external public relations firms employed by his Department since coming to office; the list of uses of the external public relations firm; his internal Department policy regarding employing external groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1864/14]
View answerMy Department has not incurred any expenditure on the provision of public relations services since the Government came into office.
95. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is possible for a permanent teacher to transfer from one Education Board to another; the mechanism to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1880/14]
View answerThere is no mechanism currently available for a teacher to transfer from one Education Board to another.
The focus of the cross sectoral redeployment arrangements for teachers is on facilitating the redeployment of surplus permanent and CID holding teachers into vacancies in other schools or Education Training Boards. Education and Training Boards or VECs have not, to date, been in a surplus position so the issue of redeployment from them has not yet arisen.
96. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form a list of all professional fees, including but not limited to legal, consultancy, IT related, advisory, capital, advertising and accountancy; the company name and the amount invoiced between 1 May 2011 and 31 December 2013. [1926/14]
View answerThe information sought is not readily available and would require a very substantial amount of administrative time to identify and extract from existing financial records.
However, attached is relevant information compiled in response to similar Parliamentary Questions. There is some overlap involved as the information is an aggregation of two tables covering the periods 1 October 2011 to 30 September 2012 and 1 June 2012 to 31 May 2013 respectively.
My Department's officials will compile additional material covering the outstanding periods - 1 May 2011 to 30 September 2011 and 1 June 2013 to 31 December 2013. These new listings will be forwarded to the Deputy when available and, together with the information attached, will provide the Deputy with all of the information being sought.
The information in Tables A and B below represents an aggregation of information given in response to two previous PQs. It should be noted that there is some overlap involved as the aggregated tables comprise details in respect of two separate periods, viz. 1st October 2011 to 30th September 2012 and 1st June 2012 to 31st May 2013.
The information in Table A (Non-capital Services) relates to expenditure on relevant services between 1 October 2011 and 31st May 2013. This list was compiled from my Department’s Financial Management System (FMS) on the basis of payments made during this period from which Professional Services Withholding Tax (PSWT) was deducted. In addtion to the payments listed in the table as made to Brindley Advertising, a further €258,794.29 was made to Brindleys in respect of advertisements placed in the print media.
The information in Table B (Capital Services) relates to consultant architects, quantity surveyors, mechanical and electrical engineers, structural engineers, project supervisors design stage, clerk of works, building contractors and others engaged directly by the Department and in receipt of direct payments from the Department for commissions undertaken on school building projects. The parties concerned accordingly performed a service or services directly for or on behalf of the Department for which the payment or payments in question relate.
Also detailed in Table B are payments to bodies such as ESB, ESRI Ireland and similar bodies for professional services such as connections to new facilities, demographic analysis and related works again associated with the operation of the overall capital programme. Funding dispersed to bodies carrying out topographical surveys on sites etc are also detailed. * The amounts given are payments from which Professionals Services Withholding Tax (PSWT) was deducted.
97. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an mbíonn sé féin nó a oifigigh i dteagmháil go rialta le coiste bunaithe Ghaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh, gaelcholáiste úr i mBaile Átha Cliath, maidir le suíomh sealadach agus suíomh buan a roghnú don choláiste atá le tosú i mí Mheán Fómhair i mbliana, agus cad é an scéal is déanaí maidir leis an gcoláiste seo agus cén uair a bheidh na cinntí cuí déanta. [1937/14]
View answerTá mo Roinnse ag obair i gcomhar le pátrún Ghaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh chun cóiríocht chuí a shainaithint agus a aimsiú do thosach na scoile in 2014.
Maidir le suíomh buan an Ghaelcholáiste, táthar tar éis roinnt roghanna a shainaithint agus tá siad seo á gcur chun cinn. Tá caibidlíocht ar siúl i gcónaí agus, dá bhrí sin, i bhfianaise na n-íogaireachtaí a bhaineann le héadáil talún níl ar mo chumas aon ráiteas eile a thabhairt ag an dtráth seo.
98. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the eligibility requirements for the book rental scheme with particular reference to the exclusion of schools which had already established their own schemes; if he will take into account the circumstances pertaining to a school as outlined in direct correspondence to him (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1942/14]
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/loan 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.
99. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of quangos, State agencies or organisations under the remit of his Department that have been merged, reformed or abolished since 2011; the details of each of these measures in tabular form; the cost saving or service delivery improvement which has resulted; how many more he expects to be merged, reformed or abolished and the timeline for same; if he will provide a full list of all agencies and organisations under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1975/14]
View answerFor the Deputies information under the Public Service Reform plan the following were identified for rationalisation or merger and since March 2011 the following actions have taken place. The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology and Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences were merged in March 2012 to form the Irish Research Council (IRC). The IRC has been established as a sub-board of the Higher Education Authority (HEA). There was a saving of €100,000 in 2012 and 2013.
Under the provisions of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education Training Awards Council (FETAC) were amalgamated to form a new agency, the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). Estimated likely saving on an annual basis will be €1 million by 2014. Under the provisions of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 the Vocational Education Committee (VEC) system was reconfigured, with the number of further education bodies being reduced from 33 to 16. Full year savings are estimated at €2.1m. Further savings are likely to be achieved through realisation of economies of scale arising from the mergers and the wider Education and Training Sector Reform Programme. Under the provisions of the Further Education and Training Act 2013 FÁS was dissolved in October 2013, with a new training authority, An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna (SOLAS) being created with responsibility for funding, planning and co-ordinating training and further education programmes. Following the enactment of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012, the necessary steps have been taken to dissolve the Education Finance Board in March 2013 and establish the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (Cara Nua). This body will be funded from the contributions of the religious congregations offered in response to the request for additional contributions, following the publication of the Ryan Report.
List of state agencies under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills
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Agency |
Website |
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An Chomhairle um Oideachais Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) |
http://www.cogg.ie |
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An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna (SOLAS) |
http://www.solas.ie |
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Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) |
http://www.childabusecommission.ie/ |
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Grangegorman Development Agency |
http://www.ggda.ie |
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Higher Education Authority (HEA) |
http://www.hea.ie |
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Irish Research Council |
http://www.ircset.ie/ |
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Léargas - The Exchange Bureau |
http://www.leargas.ie |
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National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) |
http://www.ncge.ie |
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National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) |
http://www.ncca.ie |
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National Council for Special Education (NCSE) |
http://www.ncse.ie |
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Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) |
http://www.qqi.ie |
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Residential Institution Redress Board (RIRB) |
http://www.rirb.ie |
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Residential Institution Review Committee (RIRC) |
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Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF) |
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Skillnets Ltd |
http://www.skillnets.ie |
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State Examinations Commission (SEC) |
http://www.examinations.ie |
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The Teaching Council |
http://www.teachingcouncil.ie |
100. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action he has taken to stop top-ups paid to academics in universities and institutes of technology; if he is looking for top-ups to be refunded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2034/14]
View answerProfessional added years are awarded to certain employees in universities and institutes of technology strictly in accordance with the rules of the relevant pension scheme. I am not aware of any top-up payments being paid to academics in universities and institutes of technology and it is the position of my Department that no such top-up payments should be awarded. In this regard it should be noted that the issue of compliance with public sector pay policy has been raised by the Committee of Public Accounts arising from the Committee's examination of remuneration practices in Section 38 Agencies in the Health Sector. The Committee wrote to all Accounting Officers, including the Secretary General of my Department who is the Accounting Officer for the Education sector, to seek assurances that public sector employers are in compliance with public pay policy and the Education sector Accounting Officer will respond to this letter in due course.
