Written Answers Nos. 250-266
250. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 193 of 1 April 2014, if he has received the finalised report of the independent review of the visiting teacher service; if he will publish same; the action he will take as a result of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22670/14]
View answerThe review of the Visiting Teacher Service was carried out in response to policy advice from the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in May 2013, which recommended that the service should be reviewed. Accordingly, my Department commissioned an independent review of the service in line with the NCSE recommendations. The reviewers provided a draft report to my Department earlier this month, and this report is currently being considered. It would not be appropriate for me at this point to anticipate what decisions will be taken on foot of the review. However, I wish to reaffirm my commitment to continue to provide appropriate high quality resources to schools for the education of children with special educational needs, including children with hearing and visual impairment.
251. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 257 of 13 May 2014, the plans in place for an Educate Together secondary school for the areas Dublin 7, 9 and 11 as the Hansfield school is not an option for parents in this area. [22695/14]
View answerIn June 2011, I announced that some 20 new post primary schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. That announcement did not include a proposal to establish a new post-primary school for the Dublin 7, 9 and 11 areas.
The Department's current five-year construction plan is focused on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to accommodate increasing pupil numbers. My Department continues to analyse demographic data to identify where further new post-primary schools may be required from 2016 onwards. It will be open to all patron bodies to apply for patronage of any such schools in line with the published patronage determination process and criteria for new schools.
252. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding works in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22697/14]
View answerOn 14 May 2014 the school referred to by the Deputy was approved a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for the provision of a mainstream classroom, a multi-sensory room and a resource room.
253. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for change in relation to school patronage for primary schools and secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22760/14]
View answerThree primary schools are expected to open this September under the primary school patronage divesting process, with Educate Together as patron. While permanent buildings are not yet available for these schools, I have given the go-ahead for them in temporary start-up accommodation in order to meet parental demand for greater choice of primary schools as soon as possible. The transfer of a Church of Ireland school to Educate Together patronage for this coming September is also under discussion. This follows the agreement of the Church of Ireland Bishop and local parents to a change of patronage.
A school building for a fifth school will be in use from September by an Educate Together school. This school opened in temporary accommodation last year pending the availability of its permanent building. Discussions are continuing to take place with the main Catholic patrons in these and in a number of other areas to identify and secure permanent accommodation for the schools in question and to enable further primary school start-ups in 2015 and beyond. In relation to new primary and post-primary schools being established to meet demographic needs, both the process and the criteria for establishing these were announced by me in June 2011 and full details are available on my Department's website.
Prospective patrons are invited by my Department to run these new schools. The criteria used in deciding on patronage places a particular emphasis on parental demand for plurality and diversity of patronage. Prospective patrons are, therefore, asked to provide evidence of parental demand for their particular model of provision with their applications. The patronage determination process for these schools is overseen by the New Schools Establishment Group which was set up to advise me on the patronage of new schools following its consideration of a report prepared by the Department on applications received.
254. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a reader in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22764/14]
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.
255. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will arrange for a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath to be redeployed from the Department of Education and Skills in Dublin to a position closer to home in Mullingar, County Westmeath. [22769/14]
View answerThe Department is not currently in a position to place staff on the redeployment resource panel as we are operating within our Employment Control Framework (ECF). The Public Service Agreements (PSAs) provide for agreed redeployment arrangements to apply in the Civil Service. The arrangements note that "while staff may be moved between different locations as a consequence of the redeployment arrangements – beyond the 45km radius set out under the PSAs in certain circumstances – the arrangements were not designed for and are not used to facilitate requests from individuals for transfers to address personal circumstances".
From time to time, in order to meet our Employment Control Framework numbers or to cater for changes to this Departments work practices under the Government Reform Programme, my Department circulates redeployment notifications to staff seeking volunteers. Any offers of redeployment made to our staff on foot of such circulations, are considered on a case by case basis subject to the business needs of this Department. I regret the Department is not in a position to arrange to redeploy the individual staff member referred to outside of agreed agreements and protocols and the staff member has been advised of the position on a number of occasions.
256. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on constructing temporary classroom accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22807/14]
View answerThe overall policy goal of my Department is to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. In the context of a rapidly increasing school population and competing pressure on the capital budget available to my Department, it is sometimes necessary to make use of temporary accommodation in order to meet the accommodation needs of schools. Since July 2008, schools allocated devolved funding for the provision of additional accommodation are given the option to use their capital grant aid to build a permanent classroom(s) rather than purchase a prefab. This has reduced the usage of prefabricated accommodation, with the majority of schools opting to build permanent classroom extensions instead of purchasing or renting prefabs.
257. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Waterford will receive an appointment with a NEPS psychologist as a matter of urgency. [22808/14]
View answerMy Department's National Educational Psychological Service has, in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. In the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, and in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, the psychologist will become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention which may include assessment. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases, to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually and it ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
I have made enquiries and can inform you that no request for direct intervention has been made to NEPS in relation to the pupil referred to in the Deputies question. A request for such involvement should be made, in the first instance, through the school Principal to the psychologist assigned to the school. We are aware from enquiries with the school that some additional supports have been put in place for him within the school and that his situation in this regard is subject to ongoing review by school authorities. As you may be aware the child is awaiting a referral to Central Remedial Clinic (Waterford) services for which, I understand, an appointment date is imminent.
258. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reinstate the special needs assistant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22825/14]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I understand that the pupil in question is currently in receipt of Resource Teaching and SNA support. Circular 0030/2014, which issued to schools on 10 April 2014, sets out my Department's policy in relation to the SNA scheme. 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 recruitment and deployment of SNAs within schools are matters 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. My Department encourages parents and school authorities to engage locally regarding pupils' education. Should a parent be dissatisfied with the manner in which the resources or facilities which have been provided to support their child's education are being applied in school, they should raise this matter directly with their school Principal or the Board of Management of the school. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
259. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will withdraw circular 0030-14 regarding special needs assistants and special needs provision in schools which will lead to a serious deterioration in the ability of children to access the SNA resources that they require and which will have a detrimental impact on all. [22828/14]
View answerCircular 0030/2014, which issued to schools on 10 April 2014, sets out my Department's policy in relation to the SNA scheme. This Circular clarifies and restates the purpose of the SNA scheme i.e. to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. The Circular provides details of the primary care needs for which SNA support will usually be provided and details the types of secondary care associated tasks which SNAs may often perform. It clarifies the role of the Classroom Teacher and Resource-Learning Support Teachers to provide for the education of a child, and the role of an SNA to support those teachers in assisting with care needs. The role that professional reports play in supporting the SNA scheme is also set out. While professional reports play a valuable role in identifying the needs of a child, responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports to be provided to schools rests with the NCSE, in accordance with DES policy.
In June 2011, the DES published a Value for Money and Policy Review of the SNA scheme. In May 2013, the NCSE published its Policy Advice on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools. Both reports concluded that the SNA scheme has been highly successful in supporting the care needs of children with special needs in schools, and with assisting to facilitate their integration and inclusion. However, the reports also concluded that the intended purpose of the scheme was not always generally well understood by parents or schools and that the scope and purpose of the scheme should be clarified for schools.
Whereas all SNA allocations are reviewed annually, it should not be assumed that any such review may lead to a reduction in SNA support for individual pupils, or for schools who have pupils who have continuing care needs. The Circular acknowledges that many pupils will have care needs which may remain constant. However, the Circular makes clear that whereas supports may be reduced to ensure that pupils who have diminishing care needs can be afforded an opportunity to develop independent living skills, SNA supports will continue to be provided for those pupils who have ongoing care needs.
My Department encourages parents and school authorities to engage locally regarding pupils' education. Should a parent be dissatisfied with the manner in which SNA supports have been provided to support their child's education they should raise this matter directly with their school Principal or the Board of Management of the school. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie. Finally, as the Deputy may be aware, in December 2013, this Government increased the cap on the number of SNA posts by 390 posts to 10,965 at the end of 2014 with over 23,000 children currently accessing SNA services.
260. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a permanent school building in respect of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22829/14]
View answer273. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when building work will commence for a new school building for a primary school (details supplied) in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22958/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 273 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to provide improved accommodation for the school to which he refers. It is intended that the school will be accommodated in a school building currently occupied temporarily by a special school pending the construction of a permanent school building for the special school. This permanent building is listed on the Five Year Construction Plan with a view to proceeding to construction in 2014/15. The planning permission application for the new school was lodged in March 2014 and assuming no issues arise, it is envisaged that the project will progress subsequently to tender and construction.
261. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of discussions with the INTO in relation to the future of rural schools, if a special case will be considered for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22833/14]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2014/2015 school year is set out in the Staffing Schedule (Circular 0007/2014) which is available on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the 30 September 2013. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The appeal criteria are published in Circular 0007/2014.
The school referred to by the Deputy is a two-teacher school. The enrolment of the school at 30 September 2013 was 17 pupils which entitles the school to one classroom teacher for the coming school year. The school submitted an appeal to the February 2014 meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board under the small school criterion, seeking the retention of its second classroom post for the 2014/15 school year based on the projected enrolment of 16 pupils at 30 September, 2014. A projected enrolment of at least 20 pupils at 30 September 2014 would be required for the school to remain as a 2-teacher school. Given that it projected just 16 pupils the appeal was deemed ineligible for consideration by the board on the basis that the grounds of the appeal did not meet with the appeal criteria. The Board of Management of the school has been notified of this decision. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final. If other pupils decide to enrol in the school and its projected enrolment in September 2014 increases to the required 20 pupils then it can submit a new appeal to the Appeals Board.
262. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills the purpose of the new schools procurement unit officer role when schools are now prohibited from purchasing supplies from local shops and must instead purchase from central suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22840/14]
View answerThe Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) has a central role in communicating procurement requirements and opportunities to schools, driving and measuring compliance with central contracts and managing procurement data across the schools sector. Central contracts only exist for specific ranges of goods and services. Schools are free to procure goods and services not covered by central contracts from their traditional suppliers. Where a central contract exists, a school can procure outside the contract, if it can make a strong commercial case. The Manager of the SPU will provide procurement advice to schools and will assist schools to obtain the best value for money through centralised and aggregated procurement where appropriate.
263. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way the National Council for Special Education and his Department payroll use the term full-time or whole-time post within special needs assistants contracts (details supplied). [22870/14]
View answerThe contractual position in respect of the working hours of SNAs is as outlined in their contracts of employment which were agreed with the school management authorities and the relevant Trade Unions representing SNAs (IMPACT and SIPTU) prior to their introduction in 2005. The agreement reached between the parties found expression in the two circular letters issued in 2005 detailing the contracts of employment for SNAs. Links to the SNA Contracts of Employment are as follows: Department of Education and Skills Circular SNA 12/05 (Post-Primary) http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/sna12_05.pdf Department of Education and Skills Circular SNA 15/05 (Primary) http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Popular-forms/SNA-15-05-Contract-Form.pdf.
This contract of employment is augmented by all of the relevant Departmental Circulars governing Special Needs Assistants which detail the standardised terms and conditions of employment for SNAs. These Circulars are amended and new Circulars are issued by the Minister for Education and Skills from time to time. The position regarding the working hours of full-time SNAs is as outlined in these standard SNA contracts of employment. In that context, the standard SNA contract has been designed to be flexible to cater for the different spectrum of working hours across all the various schools including primary, post-primary and special schools. No set hours were agreed but instead full-time SNAs are expected to work for the normal school hours in the school that they are working in, and in addition to be available for a period of time before and after school in order to help with reception and dispersal of children and preparation and tidying up of classrooms etc. These times are set locally by the school management and will vary from school to school depending on the requirements of the school.
In addition, all SNAs were required to be available for a number of days at the start and finish of each school term not exceeding 12 in total. Under the Croke Park Agreement it was agreed to introduce greater flexibility to the use of these 12 days. Accordingly, DES Circular 71/2011 was issued on 15 December 2011 which outlined that these 12 days now equate to 72 hours (pro-rata for part-time SNAs) to be used by schools as an additional bank of hours to be utilised and delivered outside of normal school opening hours and/or the normal school year. Link to DES Circular 71/2011 is as follows: http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0071_2011.pdf. SNAs who are employed in a part-time capacity are paid a pro-rata amount dependent upon their level of hours of employment. Part-time SNAs are paid on the agreed divisor rate for pay purposes for part-time SNAs which is 32 hours. I should point out that this divisor was agreed with both of the Trade Unions (IMPACT and SIPTU) that represent SNAs.
Furthermore, the issue of appropriate working hours for all public servants was one of the key aspects of the set of proposals for a public service agreement which were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission and which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). The specific text of the Haddington Road Agreement relating to working hours for SNAs is as follows:
SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTS Hours Under the terms of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, discussions took place that led to agreement on changed attendance arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) that give schools the option of an additional two hours working time per week from each Special Needs Assistant. Under the terms of this Agreement on increased working hours in the Public Service, the available requirements in schools for additional hours for SNAs is quite limited. Given issues such as the duration of the school day and operation hours, and the specific availability of individual SNAs the details of the utilisation of any additional requirements should be the subject of further discussions.These new attendance arrangements, allied to the provisions outlined in the above paragraph should be the subject of a review by the LRC in advance of the 2013/2014 school year, involving the Department of Education and Skills and IMPACT/SIPTU, in order to assess if the additional hours are being utilised in the most effective and appropriate manner and in order to achieve agreement on any changes deemed necessary in terms of the arrangement agreed for teachers. This will constitute the liability on Special Needs Assistants in respect of working hours for the purposes of this extension to the Public Service Agreement.
An LRC process has now commenced in respect of the application of this provision of the Haddington Road Agreement.
264. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is setting up wage curtailment with circular letter 0041/2014 (details supplied). [22871/14]
View answerDES Circular 0041/2014 (see link as follows) was introduced solely with the intention of providing a job-sharing scheme for Special Needs Assistants and not setting up wage curtailment. http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0041_2014.pdf.
265. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding training allowances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22873/14]
View answer298. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the restitution of the additional training allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23272/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 298 together.
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 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 SOLAS participants. 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.
266. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of young qualified nurses who left Ireland each year in 2013-14 or any statistical information from HEA regarding qualified nurses emigrating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22877/14]
View answerThe following data has been extracted by the HEA from the most recent First Destination of Graduates Survey for the 2012 graduates. The data refers to Nursing Level 8 graduates from UL, UCD, UCC, TCD, NUIG and St. Angela's. For that cohort the response rate to the survey was 72%. Of the 72% who responded to the survey 61% were employed 9 months after graduation and of that 61%, 21% were employed outside of Ireland. The First Destinations Reports, "What do Graduates do? The Class of 2012" is available on the HEA website www.hea.ie.
