Written Answers Nos. 55 - 60
55. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will make an assessment on the impact of the lack of availability of the back to education allowance for students training to be secondary teachers in view of the fact the course has the status of a masters level qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16872/14]
View answerRecommendations for changes to initial teacher education were included in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020 and have been incorporated into the Teaching Council's Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. Both were published in 2011. The improvements to be made to post graduate courses for post-primary teaching include the reconfiguration of the content and the subsequent increasing of the duration of courses to two years. The designation of the reconfigured and extended programme as a Masters was a decision taken by the higher education institutions involved.
The Back to Education Allowance is a matter for the Department of Social Protection. However, I understand that a decision has been made that the new Professional Masters in Education courses that will be available as a two year course from September 2014 at level 9 will not be eligible for the BTEA scheme. I have asked my officials to make enquiries with the Department of Social Protection in relation to this matter.
However, other supports may be available. Students entering post graduate programmes who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. A postgraduate student may qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the costs of their fees. The income threshold for this payment is €31,500 for the 2013/14 academic year, increasing relative to the number of family dependents.
Tax relief is also available on postgraduate tuition fees. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners. In addition to this, the Student Assistance Fund will continue to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need.
56. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the longest waiting times and travelling times and the total times for pupils of different age categories for primary school and post-primary schools within which Bus Éireann are obliged to carry children to and from schools; the commencement times, end times, travelling times and waiting times; and if he will answer in sufficient detail and form to enable pupils and parents to see if there is compliance; the penalties that are imposed on Bus Éireann for breach of these obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16876/14]
View answer57. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form a list of routes or landing boards giving the route number, the first pick up point and terminus point that have had longer waiting times and travel times totals for whatever reason than the agreed times; the number of days that the service was outside the agreed times that children have to be brought to and from schools for each category for primary school and post-primary schools within the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16878/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together.
The terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme are available on my Department and Bus Éireann websites. Included in the terms of the scheme are guidelines for travel and waiting times for children attending primary or post primary schools.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally. Where practicable, and subject to considerations of cost and logistics, school transport routes for children attending primary schools are planned to avoid an eligible child having to travel more than 2.4 kilometres to or from a pick up/set down point or to have travel and waiting times in excess of 1.5 hours per day. Similar guidelines are applied for school transport services operating to post primary schools; travel and waiting times are 3.2 kilometres and 2.5 hours respectively.Routes are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.
The level of detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. In this regard I have asked Bus Éireann to forward such information as is available directly to the Deputy.
58. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form for schools in County Roscommon for the school years, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 in respect of minibus, medium bus and large bus as a category, the list of routes-landing boards giving the route number and first pick up point and terminus point; the route distances in kilometres; the maximum number of pupils on each route; the maximum waiting times that occur for each route; the average waiting times for each route; the maximum travelling times that occur for each route and the average travelling times for each route and show the national averages for comparative purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16880/14]
View answer71. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will indicate in tabular form for schools in County Roscommon from the financial year 2010 onwards regarding the school transport scheme in respect of children with special needs as a single category; the average number of pupils carried; the total number carried; the cost per pupil on an average basis; the cost per pupil on total number basis; the breakdown between taxi costs and attendant cost; the percentage cost increase or decrease per child for the period on a yearly basis; the national averages for comparative purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16967/14]
View answer72. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will indicate for schools in County Roscommon for the school years, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 in respect of minibus, medium bus and large bus as a category, the list of routes; the route distances; the maximum number of pupils on each route; the maximum waiting times that occur for each route; the average waiting times for each route; the national averages for comparative purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16968/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 71 and 72 together.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the procurement of contractors to provide transport services under the School Transport Scheme. Bus Éireann is also responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally. Routes are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.
The level of detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. In this regard I have asked Bus Éireann to forward such information as is available directly to the Deputy.
59. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding allocated by his Department and the list of the projects that benefited in County Mayo in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16884/14]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being compiled from records within my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy shortly.
60. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the Ombudsman’s ruling in dealing with school transport that there is an onus on public bodies to provide fair and transparent procedures and that the current system regarding the pickup density of pupils in a distinct locality is decided on a basis without an objective published criterion or any rule to define a distinct locality for ten pupils in an area at the personal discretion of Bus Éireann employee and that his Department’s website indicates that a distinct locality is simply what Bus Éireann says it is and in order to comply with the ombudsman’s ruling the action he will take on that matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16895/14]
View answer73. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the Ombudsman’s ruling in dealing with school transport that there is an onus on public bodies to provide fair and transparent procedures and that the current system regarding the pickup density of pupils in a distinct locality is decided on an arbitrary basis without an objective criterion or any rule to define a distinct locality for ten pupils in some vague notional area at the whim of someone and it seems therefore that a "distinct locality" is simply what a Bus Éireann inspector says it is; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16969/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 73 together.
The terms of my Department's School Transport Schemes are available on my Department and Bus Éireann websites. For school bus operating purposes a "distinct locality" is a cluster of eligible children who reside in the same general area, in the same general direction from the school attended, as determined by Bus Éireann taking cognisance of the local road network. I am satisfied that this definition is commonly understood and is implemented in a fair and transparent manner.
