Written Answers Nos. 160-66
160. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will re-examine the travel allowance for CDETB courses as many persons are having difficulty with high travel costs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40775/14]
View answerAllowances are paid to participants on some ETB programmes, including training programmes, programmes under the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) and Youthreach. In general, the amount paid is aligned to the person's Social Welfare entitlement and this amount is paid for the duration of the course. In addition, a weekly travel allowance based on distance travelled to the course is paid to trainees where appropriate. The amounts payable represent the maximum weekly rates and are subject to terms and conditions. The travel allowances are intended to ensure that participants can access appropriate programmes. In the context of resources available and the need to continue to fund core provision costs, it is not possible at this time to re-examine the travel allowance for ETB programmes.
161. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm receipt of an application in her Department for additional school accommodation for a primary school (details provided) in County Cork; the various stages involved in getting prompt approval for this application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40731/14]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has recently submitted an application for additional classroom accommodation. The application concerned is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities when this process has been finalised.
162. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a building project in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the timeframe for completion of works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40741/14]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2b - Detailed Design. All statutory approvals have been obtained and the Stage 2b submission was recently approved by my Department. The Design Team are required to carry out a final review of all tender documentation and to submit final confirmations that all tender documents are in compliance with Department requirements and Building Control(Amendment) Regulations(BC(a)R. When this review is completed and confirmations received, officials from my Department will contact the Board of Management with regard to the potential, at that time, for the further progression of this project.
Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was not possible to include this project in the 5 year construction programme announced in March 2012.
School building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which have been initiated but not included in the current five year construction programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to my Department in the future.
163. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the agreement between the European Investment Bank and the University of Limerick regarding the library extension at the university; when works will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40769/14]
View answerThe University of Limerick concluded an agreement with the EIB in December 2013 regarding the EIB's financial support for a €224m infrastructural investment plan at the University. The extension to the University Library forms part of the overall plan which requires funding from a number of different sources. Preliminary site enabling works have already been completed. We understand that, following the appropriate public procurement procedures, it is expected that a main contractor for the extension will be appointed early in 2015, with construction commencing immediately thereafter. It is further expected that the extension will be ready for occupation approximately sixteen months later.
The Deputy may also wish to note that €10m of direct exchequer funding will be made available next year for the project which is one of the three major capital projects in Irish universities that will benefit from the €20m of funding in 2015 that formed part of my budget announcement on Tuesday, 14th October last.
164. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if changes are proposed to educational support for children with special needs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40770/14]
View answerMy Department is currently considering potential revisions to the system of allocating Resource Teaching and Learning Support to schools. This is on foot of recommendations set out in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Policy Advice on "Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools (May 2013) and the recommendations of the NCSE Working Group Report "A Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for Students with Special Educational Needs". Following the publication of these reports, my Department advised that it would commence the process of gathering information which would be required to develop the proposed new model, to allow its impact to be assessed, and to assess if, and from when, the model could be implemented.
Part of this process involves the collection of information in relation to the social context of schools. The Department therefore, in conjunction with the NCSE, asked the Educational Research Centre (ERC) to conduct a social context schools survey to assist the development of an educational profile of schools, which is currently underway.
At all stages, there has been comprehensive consultation with education partners and stakeholders and through this consultation there was awareness and broad support for the proposed approach including the deployment of a survey.
With regard to SNAs, my Departments Circular 0030/2014 on the SNA scheme, sets out the role which professional reports play in supporting the SNA scheme. While professional reports play a valuable role in identifying the needs of a child, responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports to be provided to schools rests with the National Council for Special Education, in accordance with my Department's policy.
The deployment of SNAs within schools is then a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
It should be noted that as part of the budget announcements which were made on 14th October, 365 new Special Needs Assistant posts will be provided to support children with special educational needs in schools in 2015. The increase of 365 posts proposed for next year is also additional to the increase of 390 posts which this Government announced in December 2013, which had raised the previous cap from 10,575 available posts to 10,965 posts.
There has therefore not been a reduction in the level of SNA support available to be allocated to schools.
The increases which have already been provided, and which are being proposed for next year, will ensure that children with special educational needs can continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner appropriate to their needs.
165. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a special class teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40777/14]
View answerMy Department's position is that only qualified and registered teachers should be employed by schools. This is set out most recently to schools in Circular Letter 31/2011. Current recruitment procedures direct schools to ensure that teachers proposed for appointment to publicly paid posts must be registered with the Teaching Council and have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are proposed.
In Paragraph 3.5 of Circular 0031/2011 it states "The position remains that special schools must recruit teachers registered under Regulation 2 or 3 of the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2009 except in the case of special schools that cater for pupils of post-primary age where it is sanctioned by this Department as being appropriate to appoint teachers with other qualifications".
In accordance with the above normally teachers registered under Regulation 4 (post primary) are appointed to posts catering for pupils of post-primary age.
166. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide the maximum support to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13 regarding the school building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40819/14]
View answerThe major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2A of Architectural Planning. The Patron Body and their Design Team are finalising the Stage 2A report for presentation to my Department.
Upon completion of this presentation and submission of the report, subject to no issues arising, this project will be authorised to proceed to Stage 2B - Detailed Design Stage which includes applications for Planning Permission, Fire Safety Certification, Disability Access Certification and the preparation of tender documents.
Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was not possible to include this project in the 5 year construction programme announced in March 2012.
School building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which were previously initiated but not included in the current five year construction programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in the future.
