Written Answers Nos. 496-514
496. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that fee charging schools (details supplied) are provided with adequate funding in budget 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36728/14]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that I have been in discussions with all the education partners, which included Pre-Budget matters.
I met with the Joint Managerial Body which represents all voluntary secondary schools, including fee charging schools.
I received their Pre-Budget 2015 submissions, which covered the matters raised by the Deputy.
The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot at this stage anticipate any specific decisions the Government may take in the next Budget.
498. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to an industrial dispute at a site under the school building programme (details supplied) in County Dublin; and her views on the allegations that the use of sub-contracting work on some sites has led to a substantial loss of pay and conditions for workers on the site and in some other sites under the school building programme. [36742/14]
View answerI am aware of an issue at the school site referred to by the Deputy. I would encourage all parties involved to use the appropriate industrial relations channels to resolve this current matter.
School building projects which are funded from public monies, including the school project in question, are required to use the forms of contract provided under the Capital Works Management Framework which includes a suite of public works contracts, standard conditions of engagement, model forms, suitability assessment questionnaires and guidance notes published by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). The OGP is an office within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which has been tasked with centralising public sector procurement arrangements for common goods and services.
A building project is a complex arrangement of contractual relationships between the client, the main contractor, specialist sub-contractors, domestic sub-contractors, suppliers of materials, suppliers of plant etc. In general all sub-contractors employed on education sector building projects are employed directly by the Main Contractor or indirectly by the Main Contractor through other sub-contractors. It is a matter for all sub-contractors to agree terms and conditions and a schedule of payments with the Main Contractor as their direct employer.
Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board is the Client/Employer under the Contract for the particular project to which the Deputy refers. While my Department is the funding authority for the project, it is not a party to the Contract and, as such, my Department has had no direct dealings with the Contractor regarding this particular project.
499. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views that two temporary teachers allocated to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 17 will remain in their posts this academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36744/14]
View answerMy Department has been in contact with the school referred to by the Deputy and has clarified the staffing arrangements for the 2014/15 school year.
500. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total amount of funding provided by her Department for the Youthreach programme per year from 2010 to date in 2014; and her views with respect to the Youthreach programme for 2015. [36756/14]
View answerThe funding provided by my Department for the Youthreach programme in the years 2010 to 2013 was as follows:
|
YEAR |
FUNDING |
|
2010 |
€71m |
|
2011 |
€74m |
|
2012 |
€71m |
|
2013 |
€69.6m |
SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, has taken over the funding of all further education programmes with effect from 1 January 2014. I understand from SOLAS that funding of €69m has been allocated to the Youthreach programme in 2014 and the process of identifying the funding requirements for 2015 will commence shortly with the Education and Training Boards.
501. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will conduct a review of the Youthreach programme; and, if so, if the Joint Committee on Education and Skills will be involved in this review. [36757/14]
View answerSOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, is responsible for planning, co-ordinating and funding Further Education and Training programmes. As part of the Further Education and Training Strategy 2014-2019, SOLAS will undertake a review of all further education and training programmes, including the Youthreach programme. My understanding is that this process will begin with a review of the Post Leaving Cert (PLC) Programme in 2015 and that the review of Youthreach will take place in the latter years of the Strategy period.
502. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position for teachers who wish to register with the Teaching Council and the requirement to have completed 300 teaching hours before registration; if any of these hours may be voluntary, undertaken for the purposes of qualifying for registration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36769/14]
View answerI take it that the Deputy is referring to the 300 hours Post-Qualification Employment (PQE) requirement, which is applied as a condition to all post-primary school teachers after registering under Regulation Four of the Teaching Council Registration Regulations 2009.
As the Deputy is aware, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility for the procedures and criteria for the probation of teachers including periods of probation.
In order to satisfy the condition of PQE, applicants must provide evidence of 300 hours' teaching employment in a recognised post-primary school and have three years to address this condition. Employment as a substitute teacher is acceptable for the purposes of fulfilling this condition. However, I am advised by the Teaching Council that voluntary hours are not reckonable against Post-Qualification Employment as they are not deemed to be employment, for the purposes of Post-Qualification Employment.
The Deputy may also wish to note that, under circular 46/2011, the Department allowed schools and ETBs to participate in the National Internship Scheme, JobBridge, administered by the Department of Social Protection. JobBridge can provide valuable teaching experience to teachers and assist them in securing employment subsequently. A JobBridge internship may allow a newly qualified teacher to undergo the probation/PQE process required to become fully registered.
503. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department changed the criteria for eligibility of primary teachers to be trained as reading recovery teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36777/14]
View answerReading Recovery is a licensed programme which has been made available to primary schools through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST).
There are over 500 schools currently participating in the programme. My Department, through the PDST, continues to prioritise support for DEIS Band 1 and DEIS Band 2 schools as well as maintaining ongoing support for other schools already participating in the programme.
All schools can continue to access support in the area of literacy as part of the roll out of a programme of continuing professional development for "Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life - The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy for Children and Young People 2011 - 2020".
504. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the reading recovery programme in primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36778/14]
View answerReading Recovery is a licensed programme which has been made available to primary schools through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST).
Emerging evidence from work carried out by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) is positive on the range of interventions including Reading Recovery in place for DEIS schools. An evaluation by the Inspectorate in 2011 also demonstrated that the effectiveness of specialised programmes is maximised when they are integrated into the overall programme in a school.
Support for all schools provided by the PDST takes this into account as part of the ongoing continuing professional development programme for "Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life - The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy for Children and Young People 2011 - 2020".
505. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their Student Universal Support Ireland grant application. [36782/14]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy is currently under consideration and a decision will issue when the assessment is complete.
506. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 216 of 18 September 2014, if she will outline in tabular form the latest demographic data referred to in her reply relating to County Wicklow; the sources of the data; the methodology involved in its compilation; the specific areas where the data indicates that further school accommodation may be needed from 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36783/14]
View answerThe Forward Planning Section of my Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to analyse demographic data in order to determine the areas where additional school accommodation may be required. A variety of data sources are used in this analysis, including census data, school enrolment data, and child benefit data obtained from the Department of Social Protection.
An analysis of the relevant data is currently ongoing on a nationwide basis. Until the exercise is completed, it is too early to say where additional primary school accommodation might be needed from 2015 onwards.
507. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the proposed admissions Bill (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36814/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Government gave approval in March of this year for drafting the Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill 2014. The General Scheme has since been referred to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government for drafting. Drafting of the Bill is currently underway.
The objective of the Admissions to School Bill is to provide an over-arching framework to ensure that how schools decide on who is enrolled and who is refused a place in schools is more structured, fair and transparent.
A key objective in designing the framework is to create greater confidence for parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools are legitimate, reasonable and fair.
509. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will acquire the Rosmini facility (details supplied) in Gracepark Road, Dublin 9, as a specific centre for the education of blind and autistic children. [36838/14]
View answerThe Deputy will note that the primary school and Pobalscoil Rosmini post-primary school buildings are not included in the property which is on the market. With regard to the property for sale, I wish to advise that when the proposed sale was brought to the attention of the Department, officials from my Department met with the Rosminians (Institute of Charity). My Department has sought and has been provided with assurances from the Rosminians (Institute of Charity) in relation to the future use of the campus and securing the interests of the educational provision for the children and continuity of other existing services there.
510. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding allocated in 2013 and 2014 for Youthreach projects; the number of Youthreach projects in operation in 2013 and 2014; the number of students in Youthreach programmes in 2013 and 2014; the agreed or preferred funding allocation from her Department per capita for each Youthreach project in 2013 and 2014; the agreed or preferred allocation from her Department to be held by the education and training board for administration of the individual Youthreach projects; and if she will provide a comparison for 2013 and 2014 of the total and actual spend per student in a Youthreach course compared to the total and per capita funding for a student in comparable secondary school. [36845/14]
View answerThe funding provided for the Youthreach Programme was €69.6 million in 2013 and €69 million in 2014. The number of centres in operation in 2013 and 2014 was 110. There were 3,692 places available on the Youthreach Programme in 2013 and again in 2014.
Funding for the Youthreach programme is allocated by SOLAS to Education and Training Boards who operate the centres in their region. It is a matter for each ETB to decide on the funding arrangements for the Youthreach Programme under their remit. My Department does not have data on the costs of administering the programme by the ETBs per centre or on the cost of the programme per centre.
There is no comparable provision in second level education to the Youthreach programme. The Youthreach programme provides two years integrated education, training and work experience for unemployed early school leavers without any qualifications or vocational training who are between 15 and 20 years of age. Learners in Youthreach receive a weekly training allowance and can access childcare supports.
511. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the decision to remove one mainstream class teacher from a school (details supplied) in County Galway on the basis that it is short one pupil for the 86 pupil cut-off point this year; if her attention has been drawn to this decision that will mean students being taught in multi-grade classes and a number of classrooms lying idle; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36868/14]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually. 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 previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements for the 2014/15 school year are set out in Circular 0007/2014 which is available on the Department website. There is no change to the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the current 2014/15 school year. The school has a mainstream staffing of Principal teacher and 3 classroom teachers based on an enrolment of 86 pupils at 30 September, 2013.
Data in relation to enrolment figures in primary schools in the current school are not yet available to my Department. The number of pupils enrolled in individual schools is provided in the National School Annual Census and refers to the number of pupils enrolled as of the 30th of September in the given academic year. The National School Annual Census is generally returned by schools to the Department by end October.
The staffing arrangements for the 2015/16 school year will be published early in 2015 and this will enable schools to determine their staffing levels for the 2015/16 school year.
512. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if JobBridge internships for special needs assistants comply with JobBridge criteria, particularly regarding the prospect of paid employment after the internship has ended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36870/14]
View answer513. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the job description of JobBridge special needs assistants internships include general helping out duties in the school, such as administration and classroom assistance which are not job descriptions for SNAs according to her Department circular 0030/2014; the reason there are disparities between the job descriptions and responsibilities for JobBridge SNA internships and existing SNAs employed by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36871/14]
View answer514. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the members of school staff who will be responsible for the mentorship for JobBridge special needs assistants during their internship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36872/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 512 to 514, inclusive, together.
Circular Letter 46 of 2011 issued by my Department in October 2011 authorised recognised schools and Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) now Educational Training Boards (ETBs) to participate in the National Internship Scheme- JobBridge which is administered and funded by the Department of Social Protection. The mentoring of the JobBridge intern is a matter for the employer.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
Once an SNA allocation has been made, the recruitment and deployment of SNAs are matters for the individual employer. The allocation of SNA support can change from year to year and may increase or decrease as students who qualify for SNA support enrol, leave or care needs change.
The aim of JobBridge is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. Participation in the JobBridge scheme is entirely voluntary and schools may apply for internships in whichever area they deem appropriate. Participating schools must comply with Department of Social Protection requirements for Host Organisations and also with the guidelines issued by my Department.
The Department of Social Protection have informed me that in order to protect the JobBridge intern and to ensure the integrity of JobBridge, they have introduced a variety of control measures and criteria. These ensure that the internship does not displace an existing position; that it provides appropriate training and development experience; and that appropriate mentoring and support is provided to the intern. In addition to the initial vetting of advertisements and the requirement for the host organisation to participate in monthly compliance reporting, the Department of Social Protection has on-going monitoring of internships. This involves the regular review of monthly compliance reports and the conducting of monitoring site visits to facilitate discussions with both parties to the internship. These monitoring visits comprise a combination of randomised visits/inspections with host organisations and of the investigation of complaints received from interns or concerned individuals.
The Department of Social Protection also applies a six-month cooling off period to host organisations upon the completion of an internship. This cooling off period prohibits organisations from taking on an intern in the same area of activity as the previous internship for a period of six months, except where the intern moves directly into employment. This prevents organisations from perpetually filling a role with consecutive interns.
