Written Answers Nos. 515 - 531
515. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria which are being adhered to by the National Council for Special Education special educational needs organisers when allocating special needs assistant support for special educational needs pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36873/14]
View answer516. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the research processes which were followed by her Department in regard to the drafting of Circular 0030/2014; if relevant parties or groups were involved or consulted in advance of the circular being issued; if the circular has been sufficiently circulated to relevant parties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36874/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 515 and 516 together. 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 annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. Where children have significant care needs whereby they may need additional support to be able to attend school, the NCSE may make an allocation of SNA support to the school to assist that child. 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, which issued to schools on 10th April 2014 and is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.
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 is based on recommendations contained in my Departments Value for Money and Policy Review of the SNA scheme and also the National Council for Special Education 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.
In developing both of these policy review papers my Department and the NCSE consulted widely with education partners and stakeholders, including parents of children with special educational needs.
The Circular was developed taking into account the recommendations contained in these policy advice papers and in conjunction with the NCSE, the National Educational Psychological Services and my Department's Inspectorate division.
Following the publication of the circular, officials at my Department held a series of meetings with stakeholders, including parents of children with special needs, to discuss this Circular with them and to clarify any concerns that they may have had.
My Department has also asked the NCSE to prepare an Information Booklet for parents in relation to the SNA scheme which it is hoped will be available shortly.
517. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she has received submissions from the authorities at Hewetson School, Millicent Road, Clane, County Kildare, in respect of extra facilities required thereat; if a schedule and timeframe have been agreed; the full extent of the proposed provisions by way of upgrading the existing school facilities or replacement on the existing site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36877/14]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has an application with my Department for large scale capital funding. The current status of all schools on the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie.
The Deputy will be aware of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. Given the current financial constraints within which my Department is currently operating, priority is being given to applications for essential mainstream classroom accommodation in areas of significant demographic growth and where additional teaching staff has been allocated. This will continue to be the main focus for my Department in the coming years to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place.
The Five Year Construction Plan, announced in March 2012, priorities new school building projects as well as major extensions in areas where significant demographic need has been established. A project for the school in question is not contained on the Plan and it is therefore not possible at this point to indicate when a building project for the school will be progressed.
518. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools which have applied for recognition from the Accreditation and Co-ordination of English Language Services under Quality and Qualifications Ireland in the years 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; the average waiting time for an application for recognition to be assessed; the number of the applications which have been accepted and refused during this period; and the number of applications on which a decision is pending. [36926/14]
View answer519. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools which have applied for recognition from the Accreditation and Co-ordination of English Language Services under Quality and Qualifications Ireland during the period of 17 October 2013 to 31 January 2014; the number of these applications which have been accepted and refused by the ACELS; and the number of these applications on which a decision is pending. [36927/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 519 together.
Between 1 January and 31 August 2012, QQI/ACELS processed 13 applications for ACELS recognition, of which 7 were successful and 6 were refused.
In the light of the necessary preparations for the establishment of QQI through the amalgamation of HETAC, FETAC and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), new applications for ACELS recognition ceased to be accepted from 1 September 2012. However, given the expected timeframe for the establishment of the International Education Mark and related Code of Practice, which will supersede the ACELS recognition regime, QQI decided to re-open access to ACELS recognition for a temporary period from 17 October 2013 to 31 January 2014. The purpose of this period was to enable those English Language Training Organisations (ELTOs) which were ready to apply, and which had expressed a strong interest in gaining recognition for 2014, to do so through a revised and strengthened process.
During that period, QQI/ACELS received a total of 35 applications for recognition. As of 25 September, 5 of those applications had been successful, 1 application had been refused and 10 applications ceased due to closure, suspension or a change of circumstances post-application. The remaining 19 applications are still in process, with 14 of those applications being close to completion.
With regard to the processing time for applications, the process of assessing application for ACELS-recognition has two stages.
Stage 1 involves the submission of relevant documentation by the provider concerned and its assessment for compliance with ACELS standards. Where applications are complete and accurate this stage is completed in a maximum of 10 weeks. However, the provider may be asked for additional information and is given a period of 30 working days to respond. This can happen twice. Therefore, where a provider is asked for additional information on two occasions and on both occasions takes the full 30 working days, the process can be lengthened considerably.
Stage 2 involves a site visit and inspection report. The date of the inspection is agreed with the provider within 10 days of the completion of Stage 1 and, once completed, the provider has 10 working days to comment on the factual accuracy of the report.
520. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of English language schools which have closed in 2013 and to date in 2014; and the number of these schools which were accredited with the Accreditation and Co-ordination of English Language Services under Quality and Qualifications Ireland. [36928/14]
View answerAs ACELS is a voluntary scheme, English Language Schools may operate outside the scheme and may close without coming to the attention of the Department or its agencies. For that reason it is not possible to provide definitive figures. For 2013, the Department is aware of the closure of a single school offering English language tuition. The school concerned had had its recognition withdrawn by ACELS in advance of its closure. The Department is aware of 8 schools offering English language tuition which have closed in 2014, none of which were recognised by ACELS at the time of their closure. However, two of those schools had recently had their recognition withdrawn by ACELS.
521. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when regulations underpinning the establishment of the international education mark which will apply to educational providers including English language schools will be published; and when providers seeking recognition under the IEM will be permitted to submit applications for recognition. [36929/14]
View answerUnder the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012, QQI is responsible for the establishment of an International Education Mark and related Code of Practice for the provision of education to international learners.
QQI published its White Paper on the International Education Mark in May and will be publishing a draft Code of Practice, developed in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, in the coming weeks. The final Policy on the International Education Mark and the Code of Practice will be published by QQI before the end of the year. QQI will begin to accept applications for authorisation to use the International Education Mark from English Language Training Organisations at the beginning of 2015 and higher education providers will then be able to apply in the second half of the year.
522. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has carried out an impact analysis in conjunction with the Department of Justice and Equality to determine the number of English language schools and other educational providers which may close due to the new system of regulation for educational providers coming into effect as set out in the policy statement published in September 2014, entitled Regulatory Reform of the International Education Sector and the Student Immigration Regime. [36930/14]
View answerIn developing the reforms of the international education sector, the two Departments had regard to a range of issues including protecting the consumer and education interests of genuine international students, the labour market implications, the integrity of the immigration regime as well as impacts on the sector, particularly high quality Irish education providers.
On the establishment of the Taskforce on Students Affected by the Closure of Private Colleges, it was indicated that my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality were working on producing a strong quality framework for the international education sector to ensure that only genuine international students study in Ireland, to protect the learners that choose to study here and to ensure our international reputation was not undermined.
In this context, the Report of the Task Force noted along with the introduction of a new International Education Mark and Code of Practice, that strengthened regulations could lead to further college closures which would need to be managed in the short term. In the event of any further college closures in the coming period, it was noted in the Report that arrangements already in place for reasonable accommodation for students displaced by the closures which have already occurred, are designed to have some scalability to accommodate such an eventuality.
The impact of possible college closures, if negative, must be measured against the damage done to Ireland's reputation and the integrity of our immigration system of maintaining the status quo. The reform, along with the introduction of a new International Education Mark and Code of Practice, are ulimately to the benefit of the sector, with particular regard to the quality of offering and protection for learners.
523. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a decision has been made to restrict eligibility for recognition under the new regulatory system for the international education sector to bodies accredited to Irish accreditation bodies only as is provided for in the policy statement published in September 2014, entitled Regulatory Reform of the International Education Sector and the Student Immigration Regime. [36931/14]
View answerThe reforms referred to by the Deputy are necessary to protect the consumer and educational interests of genuine international students, to tackle abuse of the labour market and the immigration regime and to safeguard the strong international reputation of high-quality Irish education providers. The Policy Statement launched by the Minister for Justice and Equality and I on 2 September provides further detail on this issue and can be accessed on the Department's website at the following link: http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/Regulatory-Reform-of-the-International-Education-Sector-and-the-Student-Immigration-Regime.pdf.
524. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available to primary schools to replace books with tablets; if there is provision under the book rental scheme for funding towards the capital outlay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36941/14]
View answerThe decision to use tablet devices is a matter for the Board of Management of a school. Where the introduction of new technology is planned, it is advisable that there should be consultation with members of the school community including parents. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Management before a decision is made.
An advice sheet on the adoption of tablets in schools is available on the PDST-Technology in Education (PDST - TIE) website. The PDST-TIE promotes and supports the integration of ICT into teaching and learning for schools. This advice sheet covers areas such as what tablets can offer a school, educational considerations, purchasing considerations and software.
A new digital strategy for teaching and learning in schools is under development at present and the use of new technologies will be considered again in this context.
Schools may choose to allocate the existing book rental grant provided by the Department towards the purchase of electronic books if they wish.
525. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 60 of 5 February 2014, the further progress that has been made regarding the acquisition of a site required for the development of a new school (details supplied) in County Cork included on her Department's five year school building programme and due to go to construction this academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36949/14]
View answerI am pleased to advise the Deputy that the acquisition of a site for permanent accommodation for the school to which he refers is at an advanced stage. The site acquisition is subject to satisfactory completion of the conveyancing process.
Once the site acquisition is completed, officials from my Department will be in contact with the relevant school authorities with a view to progressing the project.
526. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for ACELS-QQI recognition for a training centre (details supplied) in Dublin 1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36953/14]
View answerI am informed by QQI that the application referred to by the Deputy has been processed by ACELS/QQI and the provider concerned has been informed of the outcome.
527. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to Caranua,if she will undertake a review of the level of the service provision in view of recent representations from survivors of institutional abuse to examine if Caranua is sufficiently staffed and resourced to deal with the level and the nature of the incoming queries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36955/14]
View answerCaranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. It is a matter, in the first instance, for Caranua to plan for the delivery of its services and to ensure that its resources are adequately deployed so as to enable it to meet the demands being placed on it. I am aware that there has been a delay in processing applications received by Caranua, which arose due to the number of applications and calls received being higher than expected and the time taken to recruit staff. With the appointment of Caranua's four Application Advisors in late May the organisation has reached its full staffing complement of 10 staff. In addition Caranua is utilising the services of an agency to provide additional administrative support with one person currently engaged on that basis. My Department also approved Caranua's request to engage an agency to provide 6 temporary advisors for 12 weeks to assist it to clear the backlog of applications. My Department is continuing to engage with Caranua in relation to the resources required to enable it to deal with the level of demand being experienced.
528. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide detailed financial information on Caranua, publicly and to survivors of institutional abuse, which would detail, for example, levels of remuneration, details of the way the fund has been invested and the performance of those investments, current cash balance, and outstanding moneys that are yet to be paid into the funds and the sources of those moneys; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36956/14]
View answerCaranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. The organisation's annual accounts, which it is required to prepare under section 31 of the 2012 Act, will set out the position in regard to its financial affairs. I understand that Caranua's 2013 accounts are currently being examined by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The levels of remuneration for the 10 staff employed by Caranua were set out in response to Parliamentary Question number 78 answered by my predecessor on 2nd July.
As the Deputy will be aware it is intended that cash contributions, of up to €110m, offered by the religious congregations will be available to Caranua. To date, some €78.3m, comprising contributions from congregations and associated interest has been lodged to the special investment account opened by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) in accordance with section 29 of the Residential Institution Statutory Act, 2012. Two congregations have yet to complete their contributions and I will be continuing to press them to give clear timeframes for the completion of their contributions with a view to ensuring that Caranua has access to the full €110 million committed to it for the benefit of former residents.
Responsibility for the management and investment of the funds available to Caranua rests with the NTMA in accordance with the 2012 Act.
529. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to Caranua her plans to widen the criteria to include a quality of life provision as existed in earlier versions of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36957/14]
View answerIt is a matter for the Board of Caranua to determine the range of approved services it will provide in accordance with section 8 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. The Act sets out the following four classes of approved services - mental health services, health and personal social services, educational services and housing support services. Section 8(3) provides that I, as Minister, may prescribe a class of service other than those listed above to be an approved service. This power can be exercised following a recommendation of the Board or following consultation with it and any such regulations require a positive motion of both Houses of the Oireachtas. While I am aware that the Board is considering making a recommendation to me in this regard, I have not as yet received a recommendation from it.
The criteria by which Caranua will determine decisions in relation to applications made to it, are a matter for determination by the Board in accordance with section 9 of the 2012 Act.
530. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if any study has been completed by her Department in relation to the need for another second level Irish language school to cater for the demand for places in an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36958/14]
View answerMy Department is currently analysing demographic data on a nationwide basis to determine where additional school accommodation might be needed from 2015 onwards. The areas to which the Deputy refers will be examined as part of this process at both primary and post-primary level.
As part of the arrangements for establishing new post-primary schools, an initial decision is made by my Department, before seeking applications for patronage, on whether the schools will operate through the medium of Irish or English. This will apply for all new post-primary schools being established into the future.
The Deputy will be aware that my 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.
The establishment of any new school is, therefore, considered in the context of the overall need for additional school places to meet future demographic demands and new schools are advanced in line with an objective process and criteria for determining patronage and language medium of instruction.
In this regard, two new post-primary schools opened in the area referred to by the Deputy this September and each will cater for 1,000 pupils when fully developed.
531. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address an issue involving workers at a site (details supplied) in County Dublin; her plans to rectify the situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36960/14]
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.
