Written Answers Nos. 165-169
165. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of home school community liaison officers; the budget for the home school community liaison scheme; and the percentage of that budget which provides for salaries and expenses. [42319/14]
View answerThe Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) is a key support under the DEIS School Support Programme and part of the new integrated service delivery model for educational welfare services – One Child. Operational responsibility for HSCL lies within the Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) which also has direct management responsibility for the HSCL Senior Management Team.
Currently there are 400 teachers deployed as HSCL Coordinators in DEIS schools participating in the HSCL scheme. My Department will spend some €26m on the scheme in 2014 in respect of salary costs for the 400 HSCL local Coordinators and the HSCL Senior Management Team which is located in Tusla.
Expenses associated with individual HSCL Coordinator posts are met by participating schools from within the annual DEIS grant. Schools are currently required to allocate, at least, a minimum of 10% of their DEIS grant for use on HSCL activities and to cover any expenses incurred by the local HSCL Coordinator in the delivery of the scheme.
Expenses incurred by the HSCL National Team Senior Management Team are met by Tusla.
166. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the case of a child (details supplied) in County Louth who has been deemed ineligible for school transport; if she will review the child's eligibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42350/14]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann, which operates the scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that the child in question is not attending his nearest national school 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.
In general, existing eligible children and children who had an eligibility for school transport under the former "Closed School Rule" retain their transport eligibility for the duration of their primary education cycle provided there is no change to their current circumstances.
Siblings of these children and other children who are not attending their nearest school may apply for school transport on a concessionary basis only in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Primary School Transport Scheme.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.
The family should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office in Dundalk (Tel. No. 042-9355065) regarding the availability of school transport on a concessionary basis.
167. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the charging of the student service charge to apprentices; her views on whether the charge is a disincentive and a barrier to apprentices' training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42351/14]
View answerThe Annual Student Contribution is levied on learners attending Institutes of Technology. The amount due from apprentices is calculated on a pro rata basis of the time which they spend in Institutes of Technology during the academic year.
Since 2004, FÁS/SOLAS has paid over 70% of the Annual Student Contribution due in respect of apprentices, with apprentices themselves paying the part of the contribution relating to examination fees. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS have ceased making payments to Institutes of Technology and apprentices pay the full pro rata Annual Student Contribution. The Budget 2014 decision was taken in the context of the difficult economic circumstances the country is in and the overall savings that my Department had to find in 2014 and future years.
I am deeply committed to supporting apprenticeship training in Ireland, both through the renewal of existing apprenticeships and the extension of the apprenticeship model to new areas. I will be focused on delivering in accordance with the recently published Implementation Plan to take forward the recommendations of the recent independent review of apprenticeship training in Ireland. I am confident that apprentices see the value in education and training on the journey to employment and will continue to participate in quality, relevant and well-designed programmes.
168. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will facilitate a meeting with a group (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42364/14]
View answerFor the Deputy's information the Major Building Project for the school, is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. All statutory approvals (including Planning Permission) have been received and the Stage 2(b) submission for the project is expected in the Department by the end of the year. When the Stage 2(b) submission has been received, my Department will be in further contact with the school authority, at which time a meeting may be facilitated if required. As an interim measure, in order to meet the immediate accommodation needs at the school, my Department approved a 100 sqm ASD temporary unit for September 2014.
