Eoghan Murphy
Question:249. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his view on correspondence which has arisen with students of a college (details supplied) and other similar institutions. [25666/14]
View answerEnglish Language Training Organisations
Questions (249)
Written answers
It should be noted that the immigration permissions of all students affected by the closure of private colleges, including Eden College, have been extended by the Department of Justice and Equality to allow them to continue to work in order to support themselves and also to allow them space to make alternative arrangements.
Eden College provided programmes leading to the awards of a number of different awarding bodies, one of which was the Australian Institute of Business (AIB). I understand that AIB's programmes are designed for distance learning and Eden College operated as a Teaching Centre. Therefore, while it is unfortunate for the students concerned that Eden College ceased trading, they may still complete their studies by distance learning and receive the award for which they were studying.
State Examinations Fee Exemptions
Questions (250)
Michelle Mulherin
Question:250. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider extending the alleviation scheme for the fees for State examinations to holders of general practitioner visit cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25750/14]
View answerWritten answers
Candidates whose parents or guardians hold a current full medical card are exempted from paying examination entry fees. In 2013, the most recent year for which complete figures are available, some 45,000 candidates benefitted under this scheme. This represents almost 40% of all examination candidates who entered for examinations. There are no plans at present to extend the scheme beyond its current remit.
Fees are collected in order to defray some of the costs of running the examinations but the fees collected each year only account for approximately 14% of the running costs of the examinations. The remaining cost is paid for from exchequer funding.
Departmental Staff Expenses
Questions (251)
Niall Collins
Question:251. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide, in tabular form, the total amount spent per annum from 2011 to 2013, inclusive, and to date in 2014 on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments; if his Department has been audited for tax compliance on these payments and other benefits-in-kind; if these processes have been revised in view of concerns by the Revenue Commissioners over practices in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25813/14]
View answerWritten answers
The expenditure details sought by the Deputy are set out in the following table. Travel and subsistence payments paid to Department staff are subject to regular internal and external audit. Issues arising regarding payments of this type, including matters such as those recently highlighted by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, would be taken into account by my Department in reviewing its travel and subsistence guidelines for staff and management.
|
Year |
Total Domestic & Foreign Subsistence € |
Total Taxis (inclusive of Domestic & Foreign related taxi expenditure) € |
Total € |
|
2014 (to date) |
289,705.42 |
6,656.80 |
296,362.22 |
|
2013 |
653,435.17 |
20,748.22 |
674,183.39 |
|
2012 |
696,598.27 |
26,179.14 |
722,777.41 |
|
2011 |
656,126.95 |
39,615.64 |
695,742.59 |
Note: Expenditure figures shown above are in respect of all staff in the Department of Education and Skills including field officers in the Inspectorate and the National Educational Psychologist Service (NEPS). In addition, the expenditure figures are in respect of payments made in the years as shown, which may also include payments relating to a previous year.
School Staffing Appeals Mechanism
Questions (252)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:252. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 194 of 27 May 2014, if he will inform the person (details supplied) of his Department's decision as they were never informed verbally by the school in order that they can submit an appeal to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25889/14]
View answerWritten answers
As advised previously to the Deputy in replies to PQs on the 8th and 27th of May the employer of the person to whom the Deputy refers was informed by my Department's Payroll Division on 21 March 2014 that, as the requirement for continuous service outlined in circular letter 0034/2009 had not been satisfied, a Contract of Indefinite Duration could not be awarded in this case. CID refusal letters issue directly to the school and not to the individual teacher. The school have confirmed to my Department that the teacher was informed of the decision. As previously advised there is an appeals procedure which may be availed of as set out in circular letter 0034/2009 and 0050/2006. An appeal must be made within 4 working weeks of the date a person is notified by their employer that they have not been awarded a Contract of Indefinite Duration. No appeal was received in this case.
Redundancy Payments
Questions (253)
Niall Collins
Question:253. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the ongoing delay in the issuing of a payment to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [25902/14]
View answerWritten answers
The person referred to by the Deputy was employed and paid by the managerial authority of the school.
Officials of my Department will contact the managerial authority of the school with regard to the progression of the application for the payment of redundancy.
Question No. 254 answered with Question No. 228.
School Management
Questions (255)
Seán Fleming
Question:255. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will create an additional avenue of appeal for parents who are having difficulty or in a dispute with the board of management of their school and the board and the patron refuses to engage with the parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25935/14]
View answerWritten answers
The statutory role and functions of the Children's Ombudsman are set out under sections 8 and 9 in the Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002. The Act empowers the Children's Ombudsman to investigate the administrative procedures followed by a school board of management provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the schools complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman is that a child has, or may have been negatively affected by the action of a school.Section 28 of the Education Act 1998 provides for grievance and appeal procedures in schools. It expresses a desirability of determining appeals and resolving grievances in the school concerned.
I am not satisfied with the current provisions of Section 28. I plan to revise it in order to provide in law for a Parent and Student Charter. Providing parents with the rationale for any decision is important. If schools help parents to understand the basis for a decision parents are more likely to accept the fairness of decisions.
This charter may be underpinned by legislation if necessary. I believe there is a need to look at how a stronger culture of valuing parental involvement in the level of each individual school can be created.
School Management
Questions (256, 257)
Seán Fleming
Question:256. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the budgets available to school boards of management to spend on legal fees where they are in dispute with a parent about a school issue; if his Department or the State pays the legal costs of the board of management in such disputes and in cases where costs are awarded against the board of management in court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25962/14]
View answerSeán Fleming
Question:257. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans regarding making changes to the operations and reporting structures of boards of management of schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25964/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together.
The agreed procedures for the appointment of boards of management of primary schools and the rules under which these Boards operate are set out in my Department's publication "Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedures 2011". The term of office of the current Boards of the circa 3300 primary schools will expire on 30 November 2015 with new Boards being appointed from 01 December 2015. It is intended that this publication will be reviewed and updated as appropriate by my Department in advance of that date.
My Department provides capitation funding to primary schools to cover their day to day running costs, including any costs associated with insurance. It is a matter for each Board to raise with its insurers whether any legal costs it has incurred are comprehended by the school's insurance policy.
Schools Building Projects Status
Questions (258)
Seán Fleming
Question:258. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a new school will be built or capital improvement works will be carried out at a school (details supplied) in County Laois. [25965/14]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, a building project for the school to which he refers is included in the 5 Year Construction Plan announced in March 2012 and is scheduled to proceed to construction in 2015/16.
The school's Patron has undertaken to acquire a site for the new school building. My Department has contacted the Patron's office seeking an update on the site acquisition and a response is awaited.
When a suitable site has been acquired, my Department will then be in a position to progress the project through the architectural planning process.
Proposed Legislation
Questions (259)
Niall Collins
Question:259. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to amend the RISF Act (details supplied). [25967/14]
View answerWritten answers
Eligibility under the Residential institutions Statutory Fund Act is currently confined to those former residents who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or equivalent Court awards or settlements. During the passage of this legislation through the Houses of Oireachtas, I gave an undertaking to review the operation of the Fund two years after its establishment in the event of applications not resulting in a significant expenditure of the fund. As the Deputy may be aware, the Residential institutions Statutory Fund, which uses the service name Caranua, commenced accepting applications in January 2014 and I understand that to end May 2,762 applications had been received.
Third Level Staff
Questions (260)
Jonathan O'Brien
Question:260. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons third level institutions are allowed to ring-fence vacancies for persons currently employed in other educational institutions here. [25971/14]
View answerWritten answers
I understand the Deputy is referring to the filling of administrative vacancies in an Institute of Technology. Such vacancies are filled from the Local Government Common Recruitment Pool, the arrangements for which are set out in Department of Environment Circular 55/1982. Any further queries in relation to this matter should be referred directly to the relevant Institute of Technology.
Youth Services
Questions (261, 262, 263)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:261. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants aged between 18 and 25 years currently on a Youthreach programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26020/14]
View answerCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:262. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants aged under 18 years currently on a Youthreach programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26021/14]
View answerCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:263. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the various rates of training allowance, excluding meal, accommodation and travel allowances, paid to participants aged between 18 and 25 years on a Youthreach programme; the number of participants aged between 18 and 25 years on each rate of training allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26022/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 to 263, inclusive, together.
Statistics at the end of December 2012, which is the latest available data on learners in Youthreach, show that 1,631 learners were aged 18 to 25 and 1,682 were aged under 18.
The rates of allowance payable to Youthreach learners are as follows: €40 per week for learners aged 16 and 17; €188 per week for existing learners already in receipt of this allowance prior to 1 January 2013; €160 per week for new entrants aged 18 and over and existing learners who turn 18 on or after 1 January 2013.
As the available figures refer to 2012 learners when over 18's were in receipt of the €188 per week allowance, 1,490 learners were in receipt of €40 per week (192 were aged 15 and not eligible for any payment) and 1,631 were in receipt of €188 per week.
Data are currently being collated by SOLAS on the 2013 enrolments in Youthreach.
SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Data
Questions (264)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:264. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants currently on a community training centre programme aged between 18 and 25 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26023/14]
View answerWritten answers
The information on the programme in question is held by SOLAS and I have asked it to provide the data requested directly to the Deputy.
SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Expenditure
Questions (265)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:265. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the various rates of training allowance, excluding meal, accommodation and travel allowances, paid to participants aged between 18 and 25 years on a community training centre programme; the number of participants aged between 18 and 25 years on each rate of training allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26024/14]
View answerWritten answers
The information on the programmes in question is held by SOLAS and I have asked it to provide the data requested directly to the Deputy.
SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Places
Questions (266)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:266. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants aged between 18 and 25 years on a Momentum programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26025/14]
View answerWritten answers
The information on the programme in question is held by SOLAS and I have asked it to provide the data requested directly to the Deputy.
Question No. 267 answered with Question No. 214.
SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Data
Questions (268)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:268. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants aged from 18 to 25 years who are on a local training initiative programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26027/14]
View answerWritten answers
The information on the programme in question is held by SOLAS and I have asked it to provide the data requested directly to the Deputy.
Post-Leaving Certificate Courses
Questions (269, 270)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:269. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants who commenced a post-leaving certificate course in 2013; the number of participants aged from 18 to 25 years who commenced in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26028/14]
View answerCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:270. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants who commenced a post-leaving certificate course in 2013 who were exempted from the participant contribution fee of €200; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26029/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together.
I do not have a breakdown of the number of learners who commenced Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses in 2013 but as PLC courses are generally of one year duration it is estimated that the majority of those who enrolled in PLC in the 2013/2014 academic year were commencing a PLC course.
There were 34,096 learners enrolled on PLC courses in the 2013/2014 academic year, 22,746 were aged 18-25 years and 22,192 were exempted from paying the PLC programme participant contribution.
School Curriculum
Questions (271)
Willie Penrose
Question:271. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that his Department will keep CSPE as a compulsory subject at junior certificate level, as any proposal to redesignate CSPE as a non-compulsory subject would remove equality of opportunity in regard to human rights and citizenship education in the Irish education system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26075/14]
View answerWritten answers
Under the new Junior Cycle Framework students will be expected to cover 24 'Statements of Learning' which encompass key knowledge and skills. One of these statements is to learn "to value what it means to be an active citizen with rights and responsibilities in local and wider context". As students will be expected to fulfil this statement, it is anticipated that education for active citizenship, including human rights issues, will continue to be an important part of the new Junior Cycle despite the fact that CSPE is no longer a 'compulsory' subject in the Junior Cycle.
I recently approved a new short course in CSPE that has been developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). This short course will be available to schools to implement from September, should they wish to do so, as part of their Junior Cycle programme. This programme is in fact designed for 100 hours of teaching compared to less than 70 hours for the existing CSPE syllabus.
CSPE will also be complemented at Senior Cycle by the introduction of 'Politics and Society' as a new optional Leaving Certificate subject. The draft syllabus for Politics and Society, which has been developed by the NCCA, is structured around four key areas. Two of these areas are 'Active Citizenship' and 'Human rights and responsibilities'. The Politics and Society subject will be made available to schools once the NCCA has advised my Department on a number of outstanding issues.
My Department is also currently finalising the first National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The strategy acknowledges the importance of issues such as citizenship and human rights as part of education for a more sustainable future. It also acknowledges the close relationship between ESD and Development Education. The Strategy is expected to be published shortly.
I am confident that the combination of these measures will ensure that Irish students continue to be interested in citizenship issues. The fact that they are interested in such issues is evident from the data from "Ready to Engage? – the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study" (2010) which ranked Irish 14 year old students 7th out of 36 participating countries in an international study exploring young people's active citizenship.
English Language Training Organisations
Questions (272)
Finian McGrath
Question:272. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the reimbursement of fees in respect of a student (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26092/14]
View answerWritten answers
Kavanagh College was a private college which provided a number of programmes of education and training leading to awards made by foreign awarding bodies and was not required to have in place arrangements for the protection of enrolled learners. Issues relating to the refund of fees to effected students are therefore a private matter between the college and the students concerned.
I and my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, have established a Task Force to urgently examine the issues raised by the closure of a number of private colleges. As part of its programme of work, the Task Force has been working with representatives of high-quality private providers to put in place reasonable accommodation, in terms of discounted courses, for students affected by the closures. It is intended that the details of these discounted courses will be announced very shortly by the Task Force.