Written Answers Nos. 172-177
172. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a grant application to Student Universal Support Ireland in respect of persons (details supplied); if it will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37421/14]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applications of the students referred to by the Deputy are currently being assessed and the students will be notified directly by SUSI of the outcome in the coming days.
173. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review speech and language therapy in respect of children (details supplied) in County Cork; her views on the considerable distance that these children must travel daily to access a specific speech and language disorder class; if she will examine if this is the best use of resources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37424/14]
View answerI wish to firstly explain that the enrolment of a child to a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through their network of SENOs are available to assist parents to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs.
A range of placement options are available for pupils with Specific Speech & Language Disorder (SSLD). These include special classes for pupils with SSLD in primary schools. Applications to establish such classes are considered by the school's assigned Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) and are approved by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The criteria for establishing special classes for pupils with SSLD are set out in Circular 0038/2007. The establishment of such classes is contingent on the provision of Speech and Language Therapy support being provided to the class by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
In general, children who meet the criteria for enrolment in Special Classes for pupils with SSLD are eligible for free transport to the SSLD class nearest to his or her place of residence, subject to the terms of the school transport scheme.
Children who meet the criteria and who are not enrolled in a Special Class for pupils with SSLD qualify for additional teaching support through an allocation of resource teaching hours, processed by the National Council for Special Education.
As such, pupils with SSLD have the option of attending their local school with additional teaching supports and speech & language therapy through the primary care service, or attending a Special Class for pupils with SSLD with speech and language therapy services provided in class by the HSE.
In the case to which the Deputy refers, I am advised that a number of different placement options were explored for the children, including enrolment in their local mainstream primary school with additional supports as outlined above. In this case the parents accepted placements in a specific speech and language disorder class in the school where the children are currently enrolled. Special school transport arrangements were then put in place.
While it has been suggested that funding made available for school transport might be diverted to employ a speech and language therapist, the Deputy will be aware that this option is not possible. My Department currently has no responsibility or mandate for the Speech and Language service, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Health through the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The matter relating to the provision of speech and language therapy has been referred to my colleague, the Minister for Health for direct reply.
174. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way an overpayment in respect of a higher education grant occurred in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37431/14]
View answerThe student referred to by the Deputy was initially refused funding under the Student Grant Scheme for the 2013/14 academic year as she did not satisfy the Nationality requirements of the scheme. She appealed the decision to SUSI and provided evidence of Naturalisation from March 2014. A letter issued to her on 25th April 2014 advising her of her eligibility.
The student was entitled to three monthly payments from March 2014, however eight payments issued to her account in error on 15th May 2014. A letter issued to the student on 27th May 2014 advising her of this error and requested her to contact the Payments Department to discuss repayment options. This letter was re-issued to the student on 13th August 2014.
Any overpayment of a grant is required to be repaid by the student in accordance with the Student Support Act 2011 and the Student Grant Scheme. SUSI implements a repayment policy under which students are asked to agree a repayment plan that is appropriate to their circumstances. SUSI deals with such repayments carefully and sensitively having regard to the ability of students to make repayments.
175. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an art installation (details supplied) in Dublin 2; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37437/14]
View answerUnder the Universities Act 1997 universities such as Trinity College Dublin are autonomous statutory bodies and the management and operation of their facilities is therefore the responsibility of the college authorities. Accordingly I have no function in relation to the concerns raised by the Deputy.
176. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties being faced by small schools which could lose a teacher due to the school having a very small number of pupils short of the Department's guidelines for pupil-teacher ratio, in particular schools that may be short a few pupils for the deadline on 30 September 2014 but are expecting pupils to enrol after this date; if she will allow these schools some flexibility in these circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37451/14]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the Department website. The staffing arrangements for the 2014/15 school year (Circular 0007/2014) were published on 24 January, 2014. The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The appeals criteria is also set out in Circular 0007/2014. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
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 schedule currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools.
My Department has expanded the existing appeals process so that it is accessible to the schools that are affected by the small schools 2012 budget measure. In this regard small schools did not lose their classroom post if they projected sustainable increased enrolments in September 2014 that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term. Post allocated under this appeal criterion cannot be retained if the projected enrolment is not achieved.
The next meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board will be held in October, 2014. The closing date for schools to submit an appeal application to the Department's Primary Allocations Section is Friday 3 October, 2014.
177. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made to date with the provision of new schools in Carrigtwohill, County Cork, specifically the new second level school expected to commence operation in the 2016-17 school year and the amalgamation of the two primary schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37461/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department, working in conjunction with Cork County Council, has identified suitable lands to facilitate the planned building projects for the schools referred to by the Deputy. I can confirm that the acquisition of the site is being progressed, however due to the commercially sensitive nature of acquisitions generally I am not in a position to give further details at this time.
Once the acquisition of the site is finalised, a design team for the project will be appointed with a view to progression to tender and construction.
