Written Answers Nos. 68-74
68. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of classes at primary level that are accommodated in prefabs; the total number of classes at primary level that are accommodated in prefabs that are rented and those which are owned by the State or school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5802/14]
View answer69. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of classes at post-primary level that are accommodated in prefabs; the total number of classes at post-primary level that are accommodated in prefabs that are rented and those which are owned by the State or school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5803/14]
View answer70. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of rented prefab accommodation at primary level and at post-primary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5804/14]
View answer71. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of replacing all prefab accommodation, rented or State owned, with permanent buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5805/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 68 to 71, inclusive, together. My Department does not hold information on the numbers of pupils in individual schools who currently occupy prefabs; this depends on the organisation of class groups by schools within available accommodation and may vary from year to year. In general, my Department approves the rental of prefabricated classrooms based on need at the time of application. Local school management then organise their class numbers, year on year, to achieve the optimum local efficiencies. The cost of renting prefab accommodation at primary and post-primary level in 2013 was €15.8 million. The cost of replacing all prefab accommodation with permanent buildings would vary from school to school, depending on site conditions at each school, planning conditions and other site specific costs.
72. Deputy Dara Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the proposed merging of three schools (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5820/14]
View answerI can confirm for the Deputy that while my Department is aware of the Patron's proposals to merge the three schools concerned, I have not received any proposal from the Patron in the matter. The initiative for any amalgamation or re-organisation may come from a variety of sources, such as parents, staff, Boards of Management and patron. Any such proposal to amalgamate schools must involve consultation with all of the relevant stakeholders and follow decisions taken at local level. The decision making authority for any amalgamation belongs to the Patron of a school, subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills.
73. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the final reports to the European Commission on all closed European globalisation fund programmes; the total moneys returned or due to be returned to the European Commission from each of these programmes. [5823/14]
View answerSince 2011 my Department has submitted final reports and statements justifying expenditure to the European Commission in respect of six completed programmes to assist redundant workers which were co-financed by the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund. It should be noted that the design of the EGF process provides for the return of unused EU co-financing, given the inherent difficulties in estimating at the time of application, two years earlier, precisely what the level of up-take across a wide range of supports will ultimately be. The position in relation to the financing, expenditure and returned EU funding on all currently completed EGF programmes is set out on the Annex.
ANNEX
|
EGF Programme |
Total Funding Allocation (EU and national) |
Of which EU Co-funding allocation (65%) |
Total EGF programme Expenditure |
Co-funding allocation returned to EU |
|
Dell |
€22,817,000 |
€14,831,040 |
€13,619,598 |
€5,380,480* |
|
Waterford Crystal |
€3,955,159 |
€2,570,843 |
€3,089,633 |
€506,332* |
|
S R Technics |
€11,455,174 |
€7,455,863 |
€4,504,198 |
€4,066,320* |
|
NACE 41 Construction of Buildings |
€19,522,829 |
€12,689,838 |
€12,626,175 |
€4,487,558 |
|
NACE 43 Specialized Construction Activities |
€33,329,459 |
€21,664,148 |
€20,304,793 |
€8,481,163 |
|
NACE 71 Architectural Services |
€2,135,107 |
€1,387,073 |
1,811,073 |
€210,906 |
*The European Commission has to date only sought and been reimbursed 90% of the unused co-financing on the first three EGF programmes above. Requests for the estimated balances of €0.598 million (Dell), €0.056 million (Waterford Crystal) and €0.452 million (S R Technics) respectively are anticipated in due course.
74. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason staff at the National Council for Special Education are not responding fully to a query (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5824/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education, 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. The NCSE has published details of all of their allocations for resource teaching and SNA support for the 2013/2014 school year on their website www.ncse.ie, which detail the allocations made for each school on a per county basis. At present, five SNAs have been approved for the school referred to by the Deputy.
I wish to clarify that 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 Deputy's question in relation to an application for SNA support for an individual pupil was referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply and I understand from my officials that a response issued to the Deputy regarding this matter on 4 February 2014.
