Michael McGrath
Question:46. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will arrange for a new tax credit certificate to be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [18203/14]
View answerTax Credits
Questions (46)
Written answers
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a cumulative certificate of tax credits for 2014 will issue shortly to the taxpayer as requested. A balancing statement for 2012 issued on the 15/3/2013 to the taxpayer. Unfortunately, this showed an underpayment, due to an error in the amount of illness benefit included. Following contact with the taxpayer, this issue was corrected and an amended balancing statement, showing a small overpayment, was issued on 1 April 2014. An amended tax credit certificate for 2014 was issued to the taxpayer on 2 April 2014 with the 2012 underpayment removed, but dated from 1 April to 31 December 2014. A further certificate will now issue as requested by the taxpayer, applicable on a cumulative basis to the full tax year.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (47)
Michael McGrath
Question:47. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a training allowance. [18134/14]
View answerWritten answers
The payment of an additional training allowance of €31.80 per week for the long term unemployed was introduced during a period of high employment levels as an incentive for the long term unemployed to participate in FÁS (now SOLAS) training courses. The payment of this allowance was later extended to those persons in receipt of social welfare disability payments to introduce equality of treatment for all people in training. The payment was reduced from €31.80 per week to €20 per week as part of Budget 2011. In the present economic and employment situation this incentive is no longer considered appropriate and as part of Budget 2014 it was decided to cease this payment for all SOLAS participants commencing courses after 1 January 2014. This change does not apply to persons who commenced a course prior to January 2014 who will continue to receive the long term unemployed bonus payment for the duration of their course. Travel supports continue to be available to participants on SOLAS training courses. This is a decision taken in the context of the overall savings this Department had to find for 2014 and future years. It was taken against a difficult budgetary background and there is no scope to re-visit it.
School Accommodation Provision
Questions (48)
Dominic Hannigan
Question:48. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when his Department expects the prefabs to be replaced with permanent buildings at a school (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18089/14]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that the process of the progression into architectural planning of the project to provide a new 16-classroom school building for the school in question is currently underway. My Department will be in further contact with the school authorities in this regard shortly.
School Transport Eligibility
Questions (49)
Olivia Mitchell
Question:49. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are no school places available in a local Gaelscoil due to the effects of a sibling policy being in place, if his Department will consider introducing a school bus or a travel grant to enable students to travel to an alternative Gaelscoil further away but within the catchment area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18107/14]
View answerWritten answers
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from, and are attending, their nearest Gaelscoil. In general, transport services are not established in areas where public scheduled bus services already exist. In such cases children who are eligible for school transport are facilitated with travel permits for public scheduled services. Families of children who are eligible for school transport and for whom no service is available, may be offered the Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements. Where my Department is satisfied that a particular Gaelscoil does not have capacity to enrol additional children, then these children may have their transport eligibility considered by reference to the distance they reside from their next nearest Gaelscoil.
Educational Disadvantage
Questions (50)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:50. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a review will be carried out of the levels of disadvantage in primary schools to allow schools that are currently categorised as band 2 DEIS status to be considered for band 1 status, in view of the fact that the levels of disadvantage among pupils in many schools has changed considerably since the survey on which the current DEIS classifications are based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18109/14]
View answerWritten answers
I have no immediate plans to carry out a review of the levels of disadvantage in primary schools including any review to change the current DEIS category of any school within the DEIS programme. DEIS is the subject of an ongoing evaluation to ensure successful implementation and that the best possible approaches to measuring progress and outcomes are used. Findings of this evaluation to date show positive outcomes and continuing improvements. However, the findings also show that results in DEIS schools still fall below the national average. It is important that these positive outcomes and gains made to date are maintained and built upon.
The current focus of my Department is on this ongoing evaluation and on distilling the learning from this research to inform future policy on educational disadvantage. While a key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target resources at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage, the current economic climate and the challenge to meet significant targets, on reducing public expenditure, limits opportunities and provides no capacity for additionality to, or reclassification of schools, in the DEIS programme.
School Transport Provision
Questions (51)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:51. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are sufficient public transport links to effectively service the feeder area for a school (details supplied) in an environmentally sustainable manner; if transport will be provided for children from the feeder area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18110/14]
View answerWritten answers
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from, and are attending, their nearest Gaelscoil. In general, transport services are not established in areas where public scheduled bus services already exist. In such cases children who are eligible for school transport are facilitated with travel permits for public scheduled services. The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2014/15 school year is Friday 25 April; applications received will be assessed by Bus Éireann in accordance with the terms of the scheme.
Schools Relocation
Questions (52, 53)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:52. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons behind the relocation of a school (details supplied) in view of the fact that there is a falling demand for primary school places across Ballyogan since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18111/14]
View answerCharlie McConalogue
Question:53. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the feeder area that a school (details supplied) will serve; the extent to which the location of this school will meet his Department's commitment to sustainable development in line with his Department's technical policy on site selection of safe access for all and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport's smarter travel programme which pledges that schools would be accessible primarily by walking, cycling and public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18112/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 53 together.
The primary school in question has been established to provide additional capacity for the wider Ballinteer/ Stepaside area. There is an Irish language school already located in that area. The question of location for the new Irish language school was, therefore, considered in the context of providing access to both Irish language schools to the greatest number of pupils across the area. In relation to demographics, over an 8 year period, the junior infant intake into schools in the area increased from 83 pupils to a current enrolment of 239 pupils. The primary school specifically within the Ballyogan area itself has seen a growth in its enrolments from 103 pupils in 2008 to 350 pupils in the current school year.
The Department is satisfied that the site location for the school in question is consistent with its published technical guidance documents on the identification and suitability assessment of sites for primary and post-primary schools, which sets out the criteria to be used in assessing potential school sites and includes criteria relating to safe access, traffic management and mobility. The Deputy is probably aware that An Bord Pleanála recently granted Planning Permission for the development of the school. The issues raised by Deputy were examined during the Appeal process.