Written Answers Nos 87-93
87. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the defined location, approximate construction start and approximate completion date for a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14392/14]
View answerThe school building project referred to by the Deputy has been included on the five-year construction programme for 2015/16. The conveyancing procedures for the proposed site for the new school are underway and pending their conclusion further details cannot be provided owing to commercial sensitivities. My Department will shortly be in contact with the school regarding the further progression of the project.
88. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students that sought the assistance of the reasonable accommodation unit of the State Examinations Commission during each of the years 2011, 2012 and 2013; the number of same that were approved; the number refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14394/14]
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.
89. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount paid to teaching staff at Linden House, Blackrock; and for what periods. [14405/14]
View answerThere are no teachers or special needs assistants currently paid on payrolls operated by my Department in the facility referred to by the deputy.
90. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if primary schools are obliged to inform applicants for cleaner-caretaker jobs of the results of interviews or acknowledge persons who hand in CVs personally for jobs as many young people applying for endless jobs do not get the courtesy of a reply. [14421/14]
View answerMy Department provides funding to schools from which schools may employ cleaning and caretaking staff as required. However, my Department does not have any role in relation to the recruitment procedures for such staff which are a matter for each individual employing school. Appointment procedures for teachers and Special Needs Assistants are set out in Department Circulars 31/2011 and 03/2003. However, how a school should deal with CVs handed in to it for cleaner or caretaker posts is not prescribed and is a matter for each individual school. I will, however, arrange for the issue raised by the Deputy to be brought to the attention of the relevant school management bodies.
91. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the application for higher education grant in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14425/14]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy was refused a grant as the reckonable income was over the limit. A letter issued to the student on 4th March 2014 advising him of this decision.
The student has not appealed this decision to SUSI. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to the appeals officer in SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form is available to download from http://www.studentfinance.ie/downloads/1375344221/2013_SGAB_appeal_form.pdf
92. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider extending the voluntary redeployment scheme to other areas where teachers might want to redeploy from the east to Connaught and vice versa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14446/14]
View answerTeaching vacancies are filled in the first instance through the redeployment of surplus permanent/CID holding teachers. The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. Thereafter the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme for the 201415 school year is confined to schools in the Connaught region. This pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will only be used if it facilitates the redeployment of a surplus permanent/CID holding teacher from a school. My Department has no plans to introduce a separate voluntary redeployment scheme to other areas for the 2014/15 school year.
93. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the protocol in relation to assistant principals and principal officers using their private cars and claiming unvouched expenses when official cars are available in his Department; if he has received any complaints regarding same; and the oversight that is in place to deal with same. [14841/14]
View answerThere are no official cars available to staff in my Department. The payment of travel and subsistence to officers in the Department in connection with official business is made in accordance with Department of Finance Circular 11/82 and such expenses are paid only in respect of necessary absences from headquarters. Officers are required to ensure that expenses are kept to a minimum, including using public transport as the preferred method of travel.
