Tuesday, 6 May 2014

Written Answers Nos. 177 - 187

School Transport Administration

Questions (177)

Clare Daly

Question:

177. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has read the FGS report. [20077/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

I have not read the FGS report. I have been briefed on its contents.

School Transport Administration

Questions (178)

Clare Daly

Question:

178. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if cost recovery basis is the method used in the administration of school transport. [20078/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

The method used in the administration of the school transport scheme is as set out in the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements. I am arranging to have a copy made available to the Deputy.

The following information was provided under Standing Order 40A

The clearest description of the method of payment to Bus Éireann is as set out in the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements. I consider this can reasonably be described as cost recovery.

As indicated in my reply, a copy of the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements has been forwarded to the Deputy.

State Bodies Expenditure

Questions (179)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

179. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if Caranua has a contract with a company (details supplied); if he signed off on this; the value of this contract; if Caranua have ever procured services from this body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20084/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I understand from Caranua that it retained Athena Media following a process of tendering and approval by the Board to provide communications advice and to develop and implement a communications strategy for the organisation, particularly in relation to public awareness raising about the application process, including distribution of posters and leaflets, development of material for media release to local and national Irish, British and international print and broadcast media, management of media contacts and arrangement of interviews and content for its website. I am advised that the total payment to Athena between October 2013 and March 2014 was €15,375.00 inclusive of VAT.

As I explained to the Deputy in my reply to a Parliamentary Question from him on 4 March 2014, my Department is currently considering the approval of a number of consultancies and contracts by Caranua pursuant to section 7(7) of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act, 2012 and the details will be forwarded to the Deputy once my Department has finalised its consideration of the matter.

Schools Building Projects Administration

Questions (180)

Michael Ring

Question:

180. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of the criteria for inclusion in his Department's building construction programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20089/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The Deputy will be aware that the Five Year Construction Plan, that I announced in March 2012, lists the individual school projects that are planned to proceed to construction over the duration of the Plan. The Plan priorities new school building projects as well as major extensions in areas where significant demographic need has been established so that our school system is in a position to cater for increasing pupil numbers. The Deputy will also be aware that due to additional funding made available for the schools' building programme as part of the Government's "Investing in Infrastructure and Jobs" package announced in June 2013, school projects that were not contained in the 5 Year Plan but have completed extensive architectural planning are now being progressed to tender and construction.

In addition to the Five Year Construction Plan, the Department is committed to publishing a detailed annual programme in relation to planned expenditure on individual major school projects commencing construction. The first of these, which related to 2012 expenditure, was published in December 2011. The second, relating to 2013 expenditure, was published in December 2012 and the third, relating to 2014 expenditure was published in November 2013. The 5 Year Plan, together with the annual programmes may be viewed on my Department's website www.education.ie.

Traveller Community

Questions (181)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

181. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide funding to schools to enable them to participate in the yellow flag programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20096/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I have no plans to provide funding to schools to enable them to participate in the Irish Traveller Movement's yellow flag programme. In the current economic climate there is no scope to provide additional funding to schools for particular programmes such as this one. However schools are of course free to prioritise their existing allocation from the Department to meet the identified educational needs of their pupils.

University Legal Fees

Questions (182)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

182. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide, in tabular form, the amount of money NUIG has spent on legal fees in dealing with employee issues from 2008 to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20106/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department, however, I have asked the Higher Education Authority to request details from NUIG and I will forward it to the Deputy when it is received.

Teachers' Remuneration

Questions (183)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

183. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons a person (details supplied) has not received their honours degree allowance despite being employed directly by a school on 5 December 2011; the reason days where they were employed directly by a school are not counted as days worked when determining eligibility for the supplementary panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20109/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

In 2012 a public service-wide review of allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result of the review, qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1st February 2012. Department of Education and Skills Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this decision on teachers. The circular was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council, a body established in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. The Council is composed of representatives from the teacher unions, school management, the Department of Education and Skills and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission.

In paragraph 12 of Circular 0008/2013 an exception is made in the case "where as at 5 December 2011, a teacher in employment on that date and eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of the post they held on that date, was actively undertaking a course of further study leading to an additional qualification, provided that the teacher does not cease to be a registered student on that course before its completion. Such individuals may apply to the Department/VEC as appropriate for a derogation from the general position within 3 months of the date of receipt of the award."

As the person concerned was not a teacher in employment in an Oireachtas funded post on 5 December 2011 and not eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of any teaching post on that date, they do not qualify for payment of an allowance in respect of the qualification related to the course being undertaken at that time. Since the 2012/13 school year, access to the Supplementary Panel is no longer based entirely on the length of a teacher's service. In order to be placed on the Supplementary Panel for the 2014/15 school year, teachers must meet the eligibility criteria, including scale point and earnings requirement, set out in Circular 0057/2013. The teacher referred to by the Deputy failed to meet the criteria and so is ineligible for the Supplementary Panel for the 2014/15 school year.

Special Educational Needs Data

Questions (184)

Michelle Mulherin

Question:

184. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special schools here; the number of pupils being catered for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20146/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education. Children with special educational needs may be enrolled in a mainstream school and attend all mainstream classes and receive additional teaching support through the learning support and-or resource teacher. If they have assessed care needs they may be supported by a Special Needs Assistant (SNA).

In respect of children who cannot be accommodated in mainstream education, they may be enrolled in special classes or special schools where more intensive and supportive interventions are provided. Special schools offer specialist supports for pupils with special educational needs from 4 to 18 years of age. Students attending special schools are supported through lower pupil teacher ratios ranging from 6:1 to 11:1, on the basis of each school's pupil profile. Students attending special schools also have access to SNA support, specialist transport arrangements and assistive technology support, as necessary.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools details that there are 119 special schools nationwide, with approximately 7,094 students attending such special schools in the 2012/13 school year. The report provides a list of all of these special schools by county and disability category. This report is available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.

School Accommodation

Questions (185)

Tom Fleming

Question:

185. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will take action and provide the necessary funding for resource-learning support facilities, a general purpose hall and two new classrooms in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; if he will take into consideration the population growth and the recent closure of a school in the area and the urgent demand for the upgrading of facilities at this school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20170/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department approved grant aid to the school in question on 30 April for the construction of one mainstream classroom with associated toilet facilities and two resource teaching spaces for children with special educational needs. The school has since accepted this grant. The school was also included on the list of successful schools under the Summer Works Scheme 2014, which I published on 20 March last, for mechanical improvement works. In view of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the Five Year Plan, to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential additional school places to meet demographic demand, my Department is not in a position to provide a General Purpose Room at the school at this time.

Third Level Courses Availability

Questions (186)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

186. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of science and arts CAO places offered by University College Dublin in the years 2007 to 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20173/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The information requested is not readily available in my Department, however, enquiries are being made with UCD and the Deputy will be responded to as soon as possible.

Third Level Funding

Questions (187)

Michael McNamara

Question:

187. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills if State funding will be provided for architectural technology courses in third level institutes here in view of the changed context for architectural technology graduates here on foot of recent BCAR legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20187/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The position is that my Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA institutions, including the Universities and Institutes of Technology. It is then a matter for the institution to determine how this funding is allocated internally. It is an institution's responsibility, as an autonomous body, to ensure that its academic course content is in order and has the appropriate validation.