Written Answers Nos. 1298-1325
1298. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to improve literacy rates in the adult population; the funds allocated to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33621/14]
View answer1304. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has set a target date for Ireland to reach 100% literacy for persons aged 15 and over; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33627/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1298 and 1304 together.
The provision of adult literacy services is a key priority of this government in the area of Further Education and Training and has led to significant policy development in recent times.
The Programme for Government sets out commitments for adult literacy provision under its labour market and lifelong learning policies. The importance of literacy skills was reinforced in the legislation establishing SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, which included a requirement for a strategy aimed at promoting, developing and encouraging literacy and numeracy.
Strategic Goal 2 of the Further Education and Training Strategy 2014-2019, launched in May this year, includes the devising and implementation of a strategy for literacy and numeracy across the further education and training sector. The actions include improving the literacy and numeracy of the adult population, enhancing CPD provision for staff, embedding literacy and numeracy within further education and training provision and setting targets and objectives for literacy and numeracy programmes. SOLAS will shortly establish a Strategic Implementation Advisory Group of stakeholders to support the implementation of the FET Strategy.
The Review of the Adult Literacy Service published last year made a number of recommendations which have been taken into account in devising the FET strategy and in revising the adult literacy operational guidelines.
The literacy levels of adults in Ireland have improved in recent years as shown in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) report published last year. The updates on targets set in the National Skills Strategy have shown continuous improvement in the numbers of adults with lower secondary or less education levels. My Department will continue to work with SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards, the main providers of literacy services to adults, to improve the literacy levels of adults in Ireland to enhance their employment prospects, personal development and education progression.
Annual funding for the Adult Literacy Programme is of the order of €30 million. In addition, a further €2.8 million is provided for the Workplace Basic Education Fund Programme, which focuses on basic skills for employees, from the National Training Fund.
1299. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will instruct her Department to establish and chair an adult literacy implementation group involving key stakeholders, to ensure national adult literacy policy priorities are implemented and targets monitored and achieved; and the timeframe in which she will do same. [33622/14]
View answerThe Further Education and Training Strategy sets out the priorities for the sector including adult literacy and basic skills. The legislation establishing SOLAS set out the reporting requirements including an annual report to the Minister on the previous year's activities which is also laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The SOLAS Board, comprising stakeholders from the FET sector including adult learning, will oversee the activities of SOLAS.
I would also like to inform the Deputy that SOLAS plan to establish a Strategic Implementation Advisory Group shortly to support it in implementing the FET Strategy. This Group will include stakeholders working at all levels in the FET sector, including literacy.
I am confident there will be sufficient levels of oversight in place to successfully implement the FET Strategy and have no plans to establish any further oversight or monitoring process.
1300. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has conducted any research on the costs involved to address the literacy problems held by one in four adults here. [33623/14]
View answerSOLAS, the Further Education and Training (FET) Authority, through the annual Service Plan process will allocate funding to Education and Training Boards based on the level of demand identified for programmes, including adult literacy. The level of funding provided will also depend on the overall budgetary position. The annual funding provision for the Adult Literacy Programme has been maintained at €30 million in recent years.
Of course addressing adult literacy problems is not just an issue of resources. A major review of adult literacy was completed in 2013 and sets out a series of recommendations on how adult literacy services can be more effective. These recommendations have been taken forward through revising the operational guidelines governing the service and are reflected in the Further Education and Training Strategy 2014-19. It should also be noted that one in six Irish adults were at or below level 1 in the 2012 PIAAC survey. While much work remains to be done in this area, it is a significant improvement on the figure quoted by the Deputy, which comes from a 1997 survey.
1301. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the budget allocated to the intensive tuition for adult basic education during each of the past five years; the number of participants during each of those years; the number of persons who were refused places on ITABE during each of those years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33624/14]
View answerAn annual budget of €2 million has been provided for the ITABE programme for each of the last five years. The number of participants for these years is as follows:
|
Year |
Number of participants |
|
2009 |
2,101 |
|
2010 |
2,060 |
|
2011 |
2,054 |
|
2012 |
2,134 |
|
2013 |
2,027 |
The ITABE programme is operated locally by Education and Training Boards and provides six hours of tuition per week instead of the two hours generally available through the mainstream adult literacy programme. Learners are offered a place on the programme by the Literacy service where this is deemed to be the most beneficial provision for them. My Department has no information on the number of persons, if any, who are refused places on the programme.
1302. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants on level 3 and level 4 courses through BTEI during each of the past five years. [33625/14]
View answerData on BTEI participation is collected based on the overall numbers enrolled in the programme. This data is not broken down by the number of participants at different levels. My Department does not have the data in the format requested by the Deputy.
1303. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants who availed of tuition through the workplace basic education fund during each of the past five years; the funding allocated to the WBEF during each of these years. [33626/14]
View answerThe number of participants who availed of tuition and the funding allocated to the Workplace Basic Education Fund Programme for the last five years is as follows:
|
Year |
No. of Participants |
Funding allocated |
|
2009 |
943 |
€975,532 |
|
2010 |
1,664 |
€1,686,520 |
|
2011 |
2,305 |
€2,800,000 |
|
2012 |
3,247 |
€2,800,000 |
|
2013 |
3,183 |
€2,800,000 |
1305. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding allocated to family literacy programmes; and the number of participants in them during each of the past five years. [33628/14]
View answerThe funding allocated and the number of participants in the Family Literacy Project for the last five years is as follows:
|
Year |
No. of Participants |
Funding Allocated |
|
2009/2010 |
1,408 |
€196,000 |
|
2010/2011 |
2,132 |
€230,968 |
|
2011/2012 |
2,167 |
€229,000 |
|
2012/2013 |
2,804 |
€271,900 |
|
2013/2014 |
Not yet available |
€265,000 |
1306. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of access programmes to assist disadvantaged students enter third level during each of the past five years; the number of students who have entered third level using these programmes during each of these years; the funding allocated to the programmes during each of these years. [33629/14]
View answerAs part of the implementation of national access policy and the national access plan, my Department, through the HEA, supports the access programmes of higher education institutions. This has included support for the HEAR admissions scheme which targets entry by school-leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds to seventeen HEA institutions (http://www.accesscollege.ie/). The HEAR scheme has operated on a fully national basis, as part of the annual CAO process since 2010.
A summary of the number of students entering through the scheme over the past five years is provided in Table A (following), together with a summary of the Strategic Innovation Funding (SIF) amounts allocated to both the HEAR and DARE scheme for students with disabilities in 2010 and 2011.
As part of the annual recurrent grant to twenty-six higher education institutions, the HEA includes metrics in the HEA funding allocation model which recognise and encourage institutional performance in relation to access. The metrics used for this element are based on the number of students from target groups in the National Access Plan, who are enrolled in each funded institution. The target groups are first time mature student entrants to undergraduate programmes of study; students from under-represented socio-economic groups; undergraduates who are eligible for disability funding support and a small number of students who are members of the Irish Traveller community. A summary of this element of the overall higher education funding allocation model is outlined in Table B (following).
While these metrics are used to inform grant allocations, the above amounts do not represent core funding specifically for access. The HEA allocates a block grant to institutions and each HEI must allocate funding from within that to support access.
The metrics used include data gathered through an equal access survey that is administered as part of the annual registration process of each institution. Based on the voluntary response by students to this survey, Table C (following) sets out an estimate of the overall number of entrants from the two target socio-economic groups (non-manual and semi-unskilled) in the national access plan to twenty-six, HEA funded institutions.
Table A
|
Year |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
HEAR acceptances |
1,017 |
1,366 |
1,716 |
2,012 |
2,155 |
|
SIF allocation |
€352,803 |
€227,042 |
- - |
- |
Table B
|
Year |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Core Access Allocation (26 institutions) |
€19m |
€29m |
€29m |
€26m |
Table C
|
Year |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
Estimate of Total Entrants from Target Socio-Economic Groups to HEA Institutions |
8,098 |
8,363 |
8,233 |
8,640 |
9,150 |
1307. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to assist schools with divestment of patronage from religious orders. [33636/14]
View answer1376. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide in tabular form the names of skills that are in the process of changing or plan to change patronage; their current patrons and prospective patrons. [33939/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1307 and 1376 together.
Five new primary schools opened at the start of the current school year under the patronage divestment process. All five schools are operating under the patronage of Educate Together. The details of the schools are contained in the following table.
The Department engages directly with the main Catholic patrons in the areas identified for patronage divesting with the assistance of the Catholic Schools Partnership. The Patrons and the Catholic School Partnership engage with and support the catholic school community locally.
The focus is now on identifying viable start-up schools for 2015 and beyond and the Department is consulting with the Catholic patron representatives and bodies such as Educate Together in this exercise. It is too early at this stage to say where new schools may commence under the divestment process in 2015.
Schools opened under patronage divesting process September 2013
|
School Name |
Patron |
Accommodation |
Accommodation status |
|
*Portabello ERNS |
Educate Together |
Former Edmund Rice Schools Trust Building, Basin Lane, Dublin 8 |
Permanent |
*This school opened in temporary accommodation in 2013. It has now moved to its permanent location.
Schools opened under patronage divesting process September 2014
|
School Name |
Patron |
Accommodation |
Accommodation Status |
|
Malahide/Portmarnock ETNS |
Educate Together |
Holywell ETNS |
Temporary |
|
Tramore ETNS |
Educate Together |
Pond Lane, Tramore |
Temporary |
|
Trim ETNS |
Educate Together |
The Glebe, Trim |
Temporary |
|
Newtownwhite ETNS, Ballina |
Educate Together |
Former CoI NS, Newtownwhite |
Permanent |
1308. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which her Department has drawn on top performing education models, such as Finland, as set out in the programme for Government. [33637/14]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department actively reviews, on an ongoing basis, international best practice in relation to education and training matters. As a member of a number of different international organisations, Ireland has access to international data and studies across a range of relevant education and training issues.
As the Deputy will be aware, there is a significant programme of reform under way in the education and skills sector in Ireland and this draws, as appropriate, from the findings of national and international studies as well as lessons derived from experience in other top performing models in a range of countries.
Being open to learning from the experience of others and applying this learning to our own situation is, and will remain, a key part of the process of developing and implementing policy in the education and skills sector in Ireland.
1309. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the Programme for Government commitment to allow greater freedom and autonomy to school principals and boards to raise educational standards by devolving more responsibility locally, with greater freedom to allocate and manage staff with required flexibility and to delegate management responsibilities to teachers as school priorities require. [33638/14]
View answerThe Programme for Government 2011-2016 contains a commitment to changing certain decision-making responsibilities in relation to the delivery of aspects of education at both primary and post-primary levels. My Department has already begun to progress this commitment, mindful that changes in school autonomy need to be carefully planned and supported if they are to achieve improved educational outcomes for our children.
The skills levels of school leaders and teachers are critical factors in enabling schools to benefit from both existing and any increased levels of school autonomy with regard to school governance, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. The Department has made considerable investment to build the professional competence of school leaders through its support services and through the work of the education partners including the IPPN and NAPD. Developing the leadership skills of principals and deputy principals will be an essential requirement of any plans to increase school autonomy. Equally, the strong focus in current policy development on increasing the skills levels of Irish teachers and driving the professionalism of teaching, evident in the work of the Teaching Council, is important.
We are already moving towards greater autonomy in the area of curriculum and assessment. Already, the primary school curriculum provides considerable flexibility to schools and teachers to select and prioritise different aspects of curricular content to advance the learning needs of students. The major reforms that are already being introduced at junior cycle will bring further autonomy for schools over curriculum. The Junior Cycle Student Award (JCSA) offers flexibilities and opportunities for innovation in curriculum through enabling schools to offer short courses and alternative learning experiences. It already includes formal recognition for school-based assessment outcomes. This extends considerably the scope for post-primary schools to plan and teach creatively and to implement curricula that promote innovation and independent learning.
The proposals made in the recently published NCSE discussion document regarding the creation of a single pot of SEN-related teaching posts in schools may offer further opportunities for school autonomy. These would provide schools with the greater freedom to allocate and manage staff with required flexibility which is envisaged in the Programme for Government. The recent introduction of school self-evaluation at primary and post-primary levels enables schools themselves to arrive at school-specific information on how well they are doing, which they are expected to use in their planning for improvement. This encourages schools to use their autonomy to prioritise particular learning targets and to make the necessary pedagogical changes to achieve those targets within a broad curriculum and pedagogical framework.
We know that putting appropriate supports in place is a critical step to realising in a fresh way the curriculum, pedagogical, and assessment autonomy that schools currently have and may be given in the future and that is why this work is already underway.
1310. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to require schools to draw five year development plans for their schools and individual teachers. [33639/14]
View answerSince November 2012 when the school self-evaluation circulars and Guidelines were launched, schools have been required to engage in school self-evaluation. The process should be evidence-based and reflective with a focus on improving learner outcomes. It should be approached from a whole-school perspective so that improvements take place in all classrooms and learning settings. The process requires schools to complete a school self-evaluation report and a three-year school improvement plan with a focus on one aspect of teaching and learning each year. Schools were required to complete the first report and plan by the end of the 2013/14 school year and to make summaries of these available to their own school communities.
1311. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the changes in professional development for maths and science teachers that have taken place since 2012; and any future planned changes. [33640/14]
View answer1318. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the changes in pre-service and in-service training in teaching of literacy for all primary and secondary school teachers during the past three years. [33689/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1311 and 1318 together.
Education provided at all levels in all subjects is informed by developments in my Department's policies and strategies and those of the Teaching Council, the statutory regulator and professional standards body for the teaching profession. Amongst the changes in the areas referenced by the Deputy are the "Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life – The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy for Children and Young People 2011-2020", the introduction of a post graduate course for teachers of Mathematics, the revised Project Maths curriculum and the roll out of support for the Junior Cycle Schools Award.
The Teaching Council's Policy on the Continuum of Teacher Education, published in June 2011, set out its vision for teacher education from initial teacher education, through induction and continuing professional development and identified literacy and numeracy as priority areas. Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers published in August 2011 set out the criteria to be observed by Higher Education Institutions seeking Council accreditation of programmes of initial teacher education.
Criteria, which relate to a range of areas including programme design, areas of study, programme duration, numbers and qualifications of staff, facilities and resources, require, among other things, a lengthening of ITE programmes, with an increased emphasis and focus on the key strategic priorities of literacy and numeracy as mandatory areas of study, enhancement of student teachers' competence in promoting and assessing literacy and numeracy, reference to literacy and numeracy in all assessments and an extended Gaeltacht placement with a specific focus on more effectively integrated language teaching and learning.
At post primary level, in 2012, the Council approved Teaching Council Registration: Curricular Subject Requirements (Post-primary), which set out the Council's revised subject criteria, to be met by persons entering post-graduate programmes of initial teacher education and persons graduating from post-primary concurrent ITE programmes. Subject criteria require that language teachers applying for registration must provide evidence that they have achieved a competency level of B2.2 on the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR). The Council's independent panels are reviewing all 60 reconceptualised programmes of initial teacher education. The issue of literacy has received significant attention from programme providers and from the panels.
Professional Development across a range of learning including Junior Cycle Schools Award and Project Maths continues to be provided during school time.
In addition, the Part-time Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching, provided by the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and Learning (NCE-MSTL),at the University of Limerick, funded by my Department, provides an opportunity for 'out of field' maths teachers to upskill.
1312. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to change the system for evaluating schools; and the information she plans to make available to parents. [33641/14]
View answerA range of mechanisms are in place for evaluating the work of schools. Schools are required to engage in school self-evaluation; the Inspectorate of my Department conducts a range of external inspections in schools that report on the quality and standards of teaching and learning in classrooms; national monitoring of standards is achieved through the periodic examination of standards in literacy and numeracy in national assessments of English reading and Mathematics at primary level conducted by the Educational Research Centre (ERC), Drumcondra; and standards in literacy, numeracy and science in primary and post-primary schools are monitored and benchmarked against international standards through our participation in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), PIRLS (the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Programme for International Student assessment (PISA). Using this range of measures to monitor standards and achievement in schools enables me and the public to be assured of the quality of learning and teaching in schools.
Developments and actions will take place under each of these measures in the months and years ahead. During the 2014/15 school year, the Inspectorate of my Department will be conducting initial surveys to monitor the implementation of school self-evaluation in schools and I will be publishing plans for a Parent Charter that will strengthen the position of parents generally within our school system. The issue of the types of information that should be made available to parents is an issue that I will be looking at in that context. The Inspectorate's programme of external inspections has altered considerably in recent years and will continue to evolve, including the development of curriculum-focussed inspections at primary level. Preliminary results from the 2014 assessments of mathematics and English reading in primary schools are expected to be available from the ERC in late 2014 or early 2015; the next round of PISA will be conducted in 2015 and published by the OECD in 2016; and the next rounds of TIMSS and PIRLS are expected to be conducted in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
1313. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there is no phase 2 apprenticeship course in electrical, available in the Ballyfermot Training Centre, despite 500 apprentice electricians with year 1 completed on a waiting list and a fully equipped electrical training room sitting vacant. [33674/14]
View answerI understand that SOLAS is currently in the process of preparing a comprehensive submission for a range of apprenticeship Instructor posts for my Department's consideration. SOLAS informs me that it has incorporated a City of Dublin Education and Training Board Electrical Instructor post request into its analysis and the submission is expected to be sent to my Department in the near future.
1314. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for the future for the newly equipped apprenticeship plumbing training rooms in the Ballyfermot Training Centre now that the course is transferred to Finglas. [33675/14]
View answerThis is a day to day operational matter for the City of Dublin Education and Training Board and I have asked the ETB in question to contact the Deputy directly in relation to his question.
1315. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the accommodation crisis for students who are going to university in Dublin, if it has ever been considered that students who are from Dublin should not be able to avail of student accommodation as this accommodation is needed more by students from the rest of the country who would be a distance from home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33683/14]
View answer1331. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the need for investment in providing accommodation for students in third level colleges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33704/14]
View answer1348. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to reports that students have deferred courses at third level colleges because they cannot get student accommodation and that many students have to travel long distances to their college; if students are dropping out of education because of this; the plans in place to construct student accommodation near third level colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33846/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1315, 1331 and 1348 together.
While it is clear that some students have been facing difficulties in finding suitable accommodation because of the housing shortage in some parts of Ireland, particularly in the Dublin region, we have not seen any evidence that would confirm that students are deferring places in college as a consequence.
Capital funding for higher education is targeted at delivering core educational facilities and my Department does not have any funding available for the provision of student accommodation in that context. Nonetheless, I have already called upon third level institutions to do everything they can to support students who are searching for accommodation.
Furthermore, the Student Assistance Fund continues to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need. The access offices themselves will also provide support and advice to students to help them to continue with their studies.
In the longer term, the Government is committed to addressing the housing shortage through the Construction 2020 strategy. This will not resolve all of our problems immediately, but I am confident that the implementation of Construction 2020 will provide us with a sustainable housing stock in the medium to longer term.
1316. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the national literacy strategy for children and young people with school level targets. [33687/14]
View answerIn 2011 the national strategy on "Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life" - for the period 2011 to 2020 was launched. The Department undertook to create a culture of continuous improvement in schools by improving radically the assessment and reporting of progress at student, school and national level and by focussing school self-evaluation and inspection on literacy and numeracy.
The Strategy contained a number of school level targets, it set a target of improving the performance of primary children in the National Assessment of Mathematics and English Reading. The most recent assessment, carried out in 2009 and published in 2010 was a baseline assessment. The 2014 assessment was carried out this year and its publication in due course will indicate to what extent the ambitious targets in the Strategy have been met.
At post-primary level, there are targets in the Strategy relating to PISA: in literacy and numeracy, the target was to increase by 5 percentage points the students performing at level 4 and above and halve the percentage of students performing at or below level 1 by 2020. 2012 PISA results show that in print reading 37.4% of Irish students performed at level 4 or above (28.9% in 2009) and 9.7% of students performed at or below level 1 (17.2% in 2009). In mathematics in 2012, 31% of Irish students performed at level 4 or above (26.1% in 2009) and 16.9% of students performed at level 1 or below (20.9% in 2009). The targets at level 4 have been achieved but we cannot be complacent, if we are to achieve world class results. However, there is more work to be done for students at level 1.
There are also targets in mathematics; the target, by 2020, was to increase uptake of higher level mathematics at junior certificate to 60% and leaving certificate mathematics to 30%. In the State Examinations, uptake at higher level has again increased this year to 54% in Junior Certificate and 27% in Leaving Certificate.
In view of the encouraging figures above, it is anticipated that the targets set out in the Strategy will be met by 2020.
In addition, school self-evaluation has been rolled out to all schools as a tool for schools to review and improve their own performance. In the initial years of implementation, schools have been asked to focus on literacy and numeracy.
1317. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which every school will be required to have a literacy action plan with demonstrable outcomes. [33688/14]
View answerAs part of the school self-evaluation process, all schools were required to complete the first three-year school improvement plan by the end of the school year 2013/14. These plan should indicate the improvement targets set by the school and the dates by which they expect to achieve their targets - this is likely to be three years from the date the targets were set. At primary level, schools were free to focus on either literacy or numeracy in the first year. They will then focus on the other area in 2014/15. At post-primary level, schools are required to focus on literacy, numeracy and one other aspect of teaching and learning over a four-year period from 2012 to 2016. Post-primary schools were free to focus on either literacy, numeracy or another aspect of teaching and learning in the first year. By 2016, post-primary schools should have engaged in school self-evaluation and devised school improvement plans with a focus on literacy.
1319. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of dedicated literacy mentors working with teachers in disadvantaged primary schools. [33690/14]
View answerWithin the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) there are 6 advisors who are dedicated literacy mentors for disadvantaged primary schools. As well as the 6 dedicated advisors there are currently 15 primary literacy advisors who work with all primary schools including those who are categorised as disadvantaged.
My Department continues to prioritise support for literacy as part of the Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life national strategy which was published in 2011.
1320. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has a target date on which no school will be renting prefabs. [33691/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that as part of my Department's large scale school building programme, prefab accommodation continues to be replaced with modern, high quality permanent accommodation on an on-going basis as part of major building projects in schools. In addition, since July 2008, schools allocated devolved funding for the provision of additional classroom accommodation must utilise this funding to construct a permanent structure where the need for the accommodation is long term, typically for a period in excess of three years.
The Deputy will also be aware that under my Department's Prefab Replacement Initiatives announced in 2012 and 2013, approval was given to 216 schools to replace 614 prefab units with permanent accommodation. Replacing prefabs is part of the Government's €475 million education infrastructure plan for 2014. This has reduced the reliance on rented prefabs in schools.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the 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, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and in this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of temporary accommodation in order to meet the accommodation needs of schools. In that regard, it is not possible to indicate when it will be possible to replace all rented prefabs in schools as the delivery of major school projects required to meet demographic demand will be the main focus for capital investment in the coming years.
1321. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there has been an overhaul of her Department's central database of school accommodation to ensure a complete inventory of school buildings and associated structures is maintained. [33692/14]
View answerMy Department launched an online inventory of school accommodation which is available to schools on the Department's Esinet portal. The Inventory will provide key data and statistics on the existing school building stock throughout the country at both primary and post-primary levels. To date over 80% of schools have completed or are in the process of completing the inventory.
1322. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the use of shared educational campuses. [33693/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government notes that shared educational campuses will be the preferred model for development of educational infrastructure in areas of demographic growth.
In pursuit of this and as part of the 5 year Capital Programme, my Department is currently delivering a number of projects on shared education campuses in areas of demographic growth. Campuses have recently been completed in Dublin, Monaghan and Portlaoise with delivery of the first phase of permanent accommodation also being completed on campuses in Navan, Greystones and Luttrellstown.
1323. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the negotiations for the transfer of school infrastructure currently owned by 18 religious orders cited in Ryan report. [33694/14]
View answerMy Department is continuing to engage with the congregations in relation to their property offers made in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report. The transfer of the properties offered thus far are being progressed. Whilst progress is being made in this matter, no properties have as yet been fully transferred. The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 included provisions enabling the congregations to transfer properties to the State as contributions towards the cost of redress.
The position as regards the proposed transfer of school infrastructure is that 4 congregations who own some school infrastructure have expressed a willingness to enter into discussions, which are likely to be over an extended period and outside of the redress arrangements.
1324. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which she will publish a plan for the implementation of the EPSEN Act 2004. [33695/14]
View answerA significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs.
In light of the very difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of EPSEN.
In 2012, my Department requested the NCSE to provide policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational needs.
The NCSE Report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools has now been published and is available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.
While the report recommends that the EPSEN Act be fully implemented as soon as possible, the report also states that the NCSE recognises that the current economic climate makes it unlikely that the Government will be able to implement this recommendation in the short to medium term.
While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has made a number of recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act.
The NCSE published its Report on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with Special Educational Needs on 18th June 2014.
The report recommends that all children should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need, rather than by disability category and a new allocation model should be developed, based on a schools educational profile, while also providing a baseline allocation to every mainstream school in order to support inclusion.
To assist with the process of considering the report recommendations, my Department is currently gathering information required to develop the proposed new model. This will review how the proposed model will impact on schools. There will also be full and comprehensive consultation with stakeholders and education partners, including the parents of special needs children.
1325. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service and when this number will be increased. [33696/14]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on my Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
I can inform the Deputy that my Departments NEPS service currently employ 177 educational psychologists (168.1 whole-time equivalents). An additional recruit is due to commence on 20th September next.
I can also inform the Deputy that my Department, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service, is currently engaged in administering a competition to establish new regional panels from which NEPS psychologists will be recruited in the immediate and medium term. The process is, at this moment, at interview stage and it is envisaged that the panels will be completed shortly at which stage arrangements will be put in place to recruit psychologists up to a level of 173 whole-time equivalents.
