Thursday, 2 Oct 2014

Written Answers Nos. 178 - 183

School Transport Provision

Questions (178)

Noel Grealish

Question:

178. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a major problem regarding school transport to a school (details supplied) in County Galway where a school bus is arriving 25 minutes late each day; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that up to 80 children are arriving half an hour late for school each day; the way she will address this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37463/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the timetabling and scheduling of services.

Officials in my Department are aware of the issues outlined by the Deputy and have requested that Bus Éireann address the timetabling issues in conjunction with the school and by reviewing the local school bus network as a matter of urgency.

Arrangements are being progressed by Bus Éireann to address the situation with effect from early next week.

Appointments to State Boards

Questions (179)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

179. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide in tabular form the percentage of vacant positions on State boards under the aegis of her Department that were filled from the panels created through open application by the Public Appointments Service by year from 2011 to date in 2014. [37487/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The Deputy should note that Board appointments, while made by me as Minister, are not in all cases made at my sole discretion. Individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations as specified in the relevant statute of the body concerned.

The following table provides details in relation to the numbers of appointments to State boards under the aegis of my Department since 2011, including the number of appointments made from those who applied through the Public Appointments Service (PAS). Approximately 40% of the positions to which I can make direct appointments were filled through the appointment of PAS applicants.

The Deputy should further note that in making direct Ministerial appointments, a Minister is not necessarily confined to those who made such expressions of interest in order to ensure that all of those appointed had the relevant skills and competencies for the positions.

Name of Board	Number of appointments made to state boards since 2011	Number of positions advertised over which the Minister can directly appoint [Note 1]	Appointments made from members of the public who applied through the PAS process				Year appointments made
				2011	2012	2013	2014
An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG)	2	0	0		2
An Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS)	3 [Note 2]	0	0	1		2
Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA)	17	7	3		15		2
Higher Education Authority (HEA)	13	10	2	1	9	1	2
Irish Research Council	14	0	0		14
Léargas	12	9	0		10	2
National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE)	12	1	0		12
National Council for Curriculum & Assessment (NCCA)	26 [Note 3]	3	2		25	1
National Council for Special Education (NCSE)	14	13	2			14
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)	11	8	3		10		1
Skillnets Ltd	4	0	0	3	1
State Examinations Commission (SEC)	5	5	2		5
Teaching Council	37	3	0		37
An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna (SOLAS)	13	9	9			13
Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF)	12 (Note 4)	9	6 (Note 4)			10	2
Residential Institution Redress Board (RIRB)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)
Residential Institute Review Committee (RIRC)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)
Education Finance Board (EFB)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)	See (Note 5)

Notes:

Note 1: Appointments, while made by the Minister, are not in all cases made at his sole discretion. Individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations as specified in the relevant statute of the body concerned.

Note 2: Two interim appointments were made to the Board of Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS) in January 2013 pending the dissolution of the body in October 2013. Accordingly, these vacancies were not published on PAS. Appointments to the Board of FÁS were made following consultation with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

Note 3: The 25 member NCCA was appointed in 2012 with one resignee being replaced in November 2013.

Note 4: In addition to the appointment of persons who applied to PAS a further two appointees applied directly to the Department. Following the resignation of two appointees in 2013, the consequential vacancies were filled by persons who had submitted expressions of interest to PAS (one vacancy was filled in 2013, the other in 2014). An appointee who had not submitted an expression of Interest to PAS resigned in 2014 and was replaced by a person who had not submitted an expression of interest to PAS

Note 5: The existing members* of the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB) and the Residential Institutions Review Committee (RIRC) have held office from at least 2008 and were most recently re-appointed earlier this year until 31st December 2014 or until such time as the bodies have completed their work, whichever is the sooner. The final membership of the Education Finance Board (EFB) were appointed in February 2012 for a one year term or until the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF) was established whichever was the earlier. The RISF was established and the EFB dissolved in March 2013. The 9 member Board consisted of a Chairperson, four former residents of institutions and four ordinary members. The views of survivor groups and other interested parties were sought on appointments of former resident members of the Board. *apart from the Chair of the RIRB who was appointed in 2008 until such time as the Board completes its functions.

Departmental Bodies Abolition

Questions (180)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

180. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to reduce the number of quangos in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37509/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

For the Deputy's information, under the Public Service Reform Plan a number of bodies under the remit of this Department were identified for rationalisation or merger as follows:

The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology and the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences were merged in March 2012 to form the Irish Research Council (IRC), which is a sub-board of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

Under the provisions of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education Training Awards Council (FETAC) were amalgamated to form Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).

Under the provisions of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013, 16 Education and Training Boards have replaced 33 Vocational Education Committees.

The Deputy may also wish to note the following:

In June 2011, the functions of the National Educational Welfare Board transferred to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

Since September 2011, the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) is within the remit of Dublin West Education Centre alongside the Department's largest support service, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST).

The City of Dublin VEC has replaced 66 grant awarding bodies as a single awarding authority for student grants.

The implementation of the Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 will also result in consolidation of Higher Education provision.

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Questions (181)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

181. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to reduce pay for top earners earning over €100,000 in the education sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37515/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The salaries of staff in the education sector who earn more than €100,000 have been independently established through the normal pay determination structures for the Public Sector and there are no plans to alter these arrangements. As the Deputy will be aware there have been two pay cuts for public servants since the beginning of the financial crisis and, as part of the Public Service Stability (Haddington Road) Agreement 2013-2016, the Government has affirmed that public service pay will not be revisited over the lifetime of the Agreement.

School Transport Eligibility

Questions (182)

Noel Harrington

Question:

182. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not been given any transport assistance towards attending second level education on the mainland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37588/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann has advised that the child referred to by the Deputy is not attending her nearest education centre and is therefore not eligible for school transport.

While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the school of their choice, eligibility for school transport is to the nearest school.

I understand that the family of the child in question has been in receipt of the Remote Area Boarding Grant.

Question No. 183 answered with Question No. 169.