Written Answers Nos. 184-190
184. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to extend the curriculum in secondary schools to financial education and financial risk management (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40658/14]
View answerThe management of personal finance is an important life skill which must be practised by everyone, young and old. To enable students to understand financial management skills as they apply to households and businesses both the current Junior Certificate Business Studies and Leaving Certificate business syllabuses include learning outcomes that focus on budgeting and financial management. While these subjects are optional on the curriculum the level of take up of the subjects is high. Also of relevance are the Transition Year business programmes developed by schools. Given the recent ongoing review of syllabuses, in particular the Business Studies syllabus, work is ongoing on strengthening existing curricular approaches to financial literacy development. A number of organisations are working towards supporting the development of financial literacy and nearly all of the resources they develop are free to schools and are widely used. Quite often links exist between individual schools and organisations in the community including for example, banks, credit unions and the Money Advice and Budgetary Service (MABS), and these links provide the basis for the use of relevant resources.
185. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of rented prefab accommodation at primary level in 2013; the estimates for 2014 and 2015, respectively; the steps she is taking to address these costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40660/14]
View answerSome €15.6m was spent on renting prefab accommodation at primary level in 2013. €20.35m has been allocated in 2014 to cover the rental of temporary accommodation at primary and post-primary level, including – but not limited to - prefabricated accommodation. While the overall allocation for the Department's Vote in 2015 has now been decided upon, the breakdown of the specific subhead allocations will not be finalised until the 2015 Revised Estimates Volume is published. As the Deputy is aware my Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. To ensure that this is achieved, the delivery of major school projects to meet significant demographic demands nationally will be the main focus for capital investment in schools in the coming years. However, even despite the enormous financial challenges which have been faced in recent years, two iterations of the Prefab Replacement Scheme were funded by my predecessor. Under the Prefab Replacement Initiative 2012 and 2013 approval was given to 217 schools (209 primary and 8 post-primary) to replace 614 prefab units with permanent accommodation. In excess of €56m has been allocated to these initiatives.
186. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schools and the number of classroom units within each school in County Roscommon that are availing of prefab accommodation; the average rental cost of each unit per annum in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40661/14]
View answer187. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schools and the number of classroom units within each school in County Leitrim that are availing of prefab accommodation; the average rental cost of each unit per annum in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40662/14]
View answer188. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schools and the number of classroom units within each school in County Galway that are availing of prefab accommodation; the average rental cost of each unit per annum in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40663/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 186 to 188, inclusive, together.
Details of Primary and Post Primary schools in counties Galway and Roscommon that have rented prefab accommodation, together with the number of rented units and annual rental cost is attached for the Deputy's attention. There are currently no schools in Leitrim renting prefab accommodation being funded by my Department. Please note that a prefab unit may consist of one or more classrooms and/or ancillary accommodation. Schools whose major projects are being progressed under my Department's 5-Year Programme and schools on the Prefab Replacement Initiatives are highlighted on the table.
Prefab rental in Primary & Post primary schools in Galway and Roscommon - October 2014
|
Roll No. |
School Name |
County |
Desc. of rental |
Annual Rent |
Number of units per school |
|
*03607G |
Leitrim NS |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€10,693.35 |
1 |
|
*04506F |
Oranmore BNS |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€69,479.75 |
4 |
|
**05754G |
SN Chreachmhaoil |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€41,222.22 |
4 |
|
09833W |
Lettergesh NS |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€2,558.22 |
1 |
|
*10095T |
Scoil Naomh Treasa |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€4,892.94 |
1 |
|
13208V |
Convent Primary School |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€23,379.84 |
2 |
|
13365O |
Scoil Mhuire |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€96,707.52 |
6 |
|
**16071M |
Scoil Chroí Naofa |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€6,204.26 |
1 |
|
*16293H |
Kilrickle NS |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€4,374.86 |
1 |
|
17444H |
Carrabane NS |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€5,200.00 |
1 |
|
*17613E |
Scoil Chaitríona Naofa |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€18,976.94 |
2 |
|
17655U |
SN Caladh na Muc |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€7,035.60 |
1 |
|
**17668G |
Scoil na bhForbacha |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€11,340.11 |
1 |
|
*17782E |
Scoil Bhríde |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€46,062.90 |
5 |
|
17789S |
Kiltartan NS |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€5,756.40 |
1 |
|
**18089S |
Scoil Mhuire an Gharran |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€3,248.52 |
1 |
|
18112K |
Scoil Éanna |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€37,991.50 |
3 |
|
*19965W |
Scoil Mhuire |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€14,391.00 |
|
|
*19965W |
Scoil Mhuire |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€9,210.24 |
2 |
|
19994G |
GS Mhic Amhlaigh |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€47,035.90 |
3 |
|
**19998O |
GS De hÍde |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€130,093.50 |
13 |
|
**20000L |
Galway Educate Together |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€38,673.84 |
2 |
|
20070J |
Rosedale School |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€100,999.32 |
7 |
|
**20123E |
Gaelscoil Riabhach |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€61,807.32 |
4 |
|
**20211B |
Claregalway ETNS |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€28,782.00 |
2 |
|
**20237T |
Gaelscoil Riada |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€131,157.08 |
9 |
|
20280U |
Newtown National School |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€10,000.00 |
1 |
|
20326S |
Kilcolgan Educate Together |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€38,007.00 |
4 |
|
**62870G |
Presentation College |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€171,540.72 |
10 |
|
**71270G |
Athenry Vocational School |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€21,746.40 |
1 |
|
**71330V |
Coláiste na Coirbe |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€28,759.86 |
3 |
|
71390Q |
Archbishop McHale College |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€28,142.40 |
1 |
|
**76102K |
Coláiste an Eachréidh |
Galway |
Pre-fab |
€30,700.80 |
1 |
|
*16816N |
Attyrory NS |
Roscommon |
Pre-fab |
€2,302.56 |
1 |
|
17266J |
St. Mary's NS |
Roscommon |
Pre-fab |
€2,878.20 |
1 |
|
18395C |
Cloonakilla NS |
Roscommon |
Pre-fab |
€15,798.12 |
1 |
* Included in Prefab Replacement Programme
** Included in 5 Year Programme
189. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on amending the residency clause of the free fees initiative which would allow domiciliation here; the number of applicants this would affect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40667/14]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Free Fee Schemes the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. Where full-time undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees they must pay the appropriate fee as determined by their third level institution. In the case of students who do not meet the residency clause of the free fees scheme, higher education institutions have been requested to charge the more moderate EU fee to EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have completed at least five academic years of study (Primary or Post-Primary level) in the EU/EEA or Switzerland. I have no plans to amend the residency clause of the Free Fees Initiative at present.
190. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department continues to pursue the construction of a new school (details supplied) even though the statistics from her Department show that there is huge over-capacity in the area and the enrolment in the eight schools in the locality has dropped from a high of 4,007 in 1981-1982 to 1,154 in the school year 2013-2014 and, in the case of four schools, the enrolments have dropped as follows, 788 to 107, 715 to 192, 336 to 96 and 244 to 99; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40676/14]
View answerPermanent accommodation for the school in question is warranted to meet what continues to be a strong demand for primary education through the medium of Irish in the area served by the school in question. As well as teaching through the medium of Irish, the school is the only multi-denominational provider in the area. While enrolments may have decreased in some schools in the area since the 1980s, this does not necessarily mean that the schools have vacant accommodation to a level which would accommodate the needs of the school in question. Pupil-Teacher ratios have been significantly reduced since the 1980s. The current pupil-teacher ratio is 28:1. In the early 1980s, however, some 77% of ordinary classes in schools had up to as many as 45 pupils in a class group. With the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio in the intervening years, the same level of accommodation can now accommodate smaller numbers of pupils. In addition, seven of the nine schools in the area directly concerned have urban Band 1 DEIS status, which means that their average pupil-teacher ratio is lower again at 20:1 for junior cycle classes and 22:1 at senior cycle with an attendant impact on accommodation. DEIS schools also have extra supports for pupils and parents, most of which require extra space for their delivery. Also, in line with Government policy to support children with special educational needs, significant extra teaching resources have been made available to schools requiring corresponding accommodation such as resource rooms and learning support rooms. The Deputy will also be aware that the primary school curriculum and pedagogies are considerably different today from those of the 1980s. This has impacted and altered accommodation requirements and room usages in schools generally.
