Written Answers Nos. 211-220
211. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the up to date position of a building (details supplied) in County Kildare regarding its replacement; the timescale of such works; if she accepts responsibility for ownership of this building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42592/14]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that this building is not in my ownership. As previously advised in a reply to the Deputy in March 2014, prior to the surrender of the lease which was in place and following discussions between officials of my Department and representatives of the owners of the property to which he refers, an agreement was reached which provides that the owners of the building will restore the property to the satisfaction and requirements of the relevant planning authority.
212. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of the implementation of the recommendations contained in the ICT skills action plan and the measures to increase the uptake of ICT courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42634/14]
View answerEarlier this year, the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation launched a revised Government/Industry ICT Skills Action Plan. The aim of this Plan is to meet the objective set out in the Action Plan for Jobs to make Ireland the most attractive location in the world for ICT Skills availability.
The Plan takes a comprehensive approach including increases in high-level graduate output, enhancing awareness of ICT in the education system, maintaining a strong talent pool and promoting Ireland as a destination for ICT talent. Implementation of the plan is being overseen by a high-level steering group shared by the two departments and including representatives from industry and the education system, and delivery teams have been set up to progress areas of work set out under the plan. In terms of uptake on ICT courses, 3,041 learners graduated from relevant ICT courses at levels 8,9 and 10 in 2013, an increase of over 50% from 2008 levels.
To complement this mainstream provision, in 2014/15 an additional 1,250 part-time Springboard places on ICT programmes, 905 full-time ICT conversion places and over 660 incentivised additional places in full-time ICT programmes are being provided.
An additional 1,390 learners graduated from level 6 and 7 programmes in ICT higher education institutions, an increase of nearly 25% on 2008 levels.
213. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm where a child currently in primary school who has been assessed with a diagnosis of severe ADHD and is in receipt of an special needs assistant is progressing to secondary level, if a reassessment of the SNA requirements is necessary or will the provision of an SNA be automatic upon entry to second level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41479/14]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. Where children have significant care needs whereby they may need additional support to be able to attend school, the NCSE may make an allocation of SNA support to the school to assist that child. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. I wish to explain that there is no automatic system of transfer of resources from one school to another. In considering applications for SNA supports for individual pupils, the SENOs take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionally is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources. 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. Schools that wish to apply for SNA support for pupils who are newly enrolling to a school should make such an application to the NCSE. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
214. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be liable for full international fees for each of their years in third level education; her views that this anomaly should be amended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42659/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware the Exchequer funds tuition fees costs in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study under my Department's Free Fees Initiative. 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 students do not qualify for free fees they must pay the appropriate fee as determined by their third level institution. The institutions are autonomous and the level of fee payable by students who do not meet the requirements of the Free Fees Initiative is entirely a matter for the relevant institution.
215. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm the existence of a report conducted on small rural schools recommending various options for a reduction in the number of one and two-teacher schools in rural areas; if she will publish the full findings of this report; the persons who conducted this report and when it was completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42669/14]
View answerA report of a value for money review of small primary schools was submitted to my predecessor in April 2013. This review was part of the normal review processes undertaken by all Departments on an annual basis on selected areas of expenditure. It was conducted by a Steering Committee, comprising civil servants from relevant Government Departments and was led by an independent external chairperson. I am considering the findings and recommendations of the report along with my Government colleagues. I intend to publish it as soon as those considerations have been finalised.
216. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of staff in the third level sector currently earning more than €200,000; the number earning more than €175,000; the number earning more than €150,000; and the number earning more than €100,000. [42672/14]
View answerData are currently provided by institutions in the third-level sector for the following pay ranges: €100-125k, €125-150k, €150-200k and over €200k. In this regard, the following are the most recent data supplied:
- 67 staff earn in excess of €200k;
- 83 staff earn between €150-200k;
- 943 staff earn between €100-150k.
129 of those who earn more than €150k are Academic Medical Consultants whose remuneration falls in the main within the remit of the Minister for Health.
217. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the sole interim manager has been re-appointed to a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath; if so for what period; when a new board of management will be constituted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42692/14]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Education Act 1998, it is the duty of the Patron to appoint, where practicable, a Board of Management. The Education Act 1998 also provides that the Patron may appoint a person or persons to manage the school in circumstances where the appointment of a Board is not practicable or where the Patron has dissolved the Board and pending the appointment of a new Board of Management. In the case of the school in question, the Patron has, in accordance with the provisions of section 14 (8) of the Education Act 1998 appointed a Single Manager to manage the school.
218. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the full amount of higher education grant awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42693/14]
View answerAs part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications. This service complements the established channels provided by SUSI which include online application tracking, a dedicated website, a telephone helpdesk, email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter. Enquiries, such as that raised by the Deputy, may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.
219. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide the details of average cuts paid by her Department and those under her aegis to recruitment and temporary employment agencies, that is the proportion of the fee paid from State funding to such agencies received by the worker and the proportion by the agency. [42706/14]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy could not be compiled in the time available, but will be forwarded to the Deputy once available.
220. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an annual breakdown of the fees paid to recruitment and employment agencies by her Department and those under her aegis. [42719/14]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy could not be compiled in the time available, but will be forwarded to the Deputy once available.
