Written Answers Nos. 463-478
463. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made on student grant applications in respect of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46165/14]
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 compliments the established channels provided by SUSI which include online application tracking, a dedicated website, a telephone help desk, email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter. Enquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she-he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
464. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made on a student grant application in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46168/14]
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 compliments the established channels provided by SUSI which include online application tracking, a dedicated website, a telephone help desk, email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter.
Enquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his-her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
465. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new applications and renewals that are awaiting decisions from Student Universal Support Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46171/14]
View answerSUSI received 103,000 applications for the 2014-2015 academic year, 15,000 of which were received after the closing dates of 13 June 2014 for renewal applications, and 1 August 2014 for new applications.
The number of new applications and renewal applications to be finalised was 16,001 and 1,897, respectively, as at 30 November, 2014. Of these 17,898 applications, SUSI is currently awaiting documentation from students in 10,491 cases.
SUSI currently has 6,319 applications at the final stage of the process and expects to complete these applications by Friday, 12 December, 2014.
The remaining 1,088 applications are at the initial stage of processing as they were received during October and November.
466. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for the provision of primary school places in Ashtown, Castleknock area, Dublin 15. [46197/14]
View answerMy Department is currently analysing the latest demographic data on a nationwide basis to determine where additional school accommodation might be needed from 2015 onwards.
This process includes an examination of the Ashtown and Castleknock areas. When this exercise has been completed arrangements will be made to make additional accommodation available where it is needed.
467. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the creation of a local centralised school allocation system in Dublin 15 to deal with the anomalies between schools' waiting lists; and her plans tackle the issue. [46198/14]
View answerThe Deputy appears to be suggesting the creation of a localised schools' allocation system similar to the CAO system for those applying for school places in Dublin 15. I have no plans to establish such a system nor do I have the power to do so under the Education Act.
It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or on the basis of some other criterion. The criteria to be applied by schools in such circumstances are a matter for the schools themselves. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.
The Deputy may be aware that Government gave approval in March of this year for drafting the Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill 2014 and drafting is currently well advanced.
The objective of the Admissions to School Bill is to provide an over-arching framework to ensure that how schools decide on who is enrolled and who is refused a place in schools is more structured, fair and transparent. If appropriate, this may include requiring schools in an area to have greater coordination in how they operate their own enrolment policies.
A key objective in designing the framework is to create greater confidence for parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools are legitimate, reasonable and fair.
468. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an bhfuil sé i gceist aici an cóimheas idir daltaí agus múinteoirí a theastaíonn chun an ceathrú múinteoir a choinneáil i scoileanna a athrú ar ais go dtí an figiúr a bhí ann sular tháinig an Rialtas seo i gcumhacht; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [46199/14]
View answerTuigeann an Rialtas seo gur cuid thábhachtach d'uige shóisialta na bpobal tuaithe iad na scoileanna beaga. Leanfear leo mar ghné dár ndreach oideachasúil. Caithfidh a leithéid tarlú, áfach, sa chomhthéacs ina bhfuiltear ag iarradh ar gach fostaí sa tseirbhís phoiblí ár seirbhísí poiblí a sholáthar ar leibhéal laghdaithe acmhainní agus ní féidir múinteoirí i scoileanna beaga a bheith saor ón riachtanas seo.
Tá daonra na ndaoine óga sa tír seo ag fás agus, in ainneoin na ndíonchúinsí eacnamaíochta atá againn sa tír, thugamar tosaíocht don oideachas ionas gur mhéadaigh líon na múinteoirí atá againn sa chóras chun an cóimheas reatha daltaí le múinteoirí a chosaint. Fostaíodh míle múinteoir breise i scoileanna ar fud na tír sa scoilbhliain dheireanach, seachas mar a bhí an bhliain roimhe sin. Tarlóidh méadú eile de thart ar 1,300 múinteoir sa scoilbhliain reatha.
Tá cur chuige an Rialtais maidir leis an eacnamaíocht a athshlánú tar éis cabhrú le tír na hÉireann filleadh ar an bpointe inar léir dúinn fás eacnamaíochta. Feabhas leanúnach thar thréimhse leanúnach atá i gceist lenár bhfás eacnamaíochta a chuirfidh ar ár gcumas gluaiseacht chuig staid ina mbeimid ábalta breathnú arís ar achmainní múinteora breise a chur ar fáil do scoileanna agus d'fhéadfadh a leithéid feabhas a chur ar CDM (PTR), ar mhéid ranga agus ar thacaíocht do mhúinteoirí ranga.
469. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an bhfuil sé i gceist ag Solas leanúint leis an scéim béaloidis atá ar bun i gCois Fharraige (Scéim LTI códchúrsa GYB8B) in Indreabhán, Co. na Gaillimhe; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [46200/14]
View answerGnó oibríochtúil é seo do Bhord Oideachais agus Oiliúna na Gaillimhe agus Ros Comáin. Táim tar éis a iarraidh ar an mBord sin dul i dteagmháil go díreach leis an Teachta chun an scéal a shoiléiriú dó.
470. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if changes have been made to the 1998 Education Act that reverse the ability of a school to determine catchment area enrolment policy; her views that restrictions on catchment areas may disproportionately affect non-religious children who are now not in the catchment areas for the Educate Together schools as it may restrict their right to an education without a religious ethos; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46203/14]
View answerIt is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or on the basis of some other criterion. The criteria to be applied by schools in such circumstances are a matter for the schools themselves.
This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. Under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act 1998, each school is legally obliged to publish its enrolment policy.
Equality legislation, which also outlaws discrimination in relation to the admission of a student, makes provision for exemptions to apply in the case of single sex schools and in the case of schools where the objective is to provide education in an environment that promotes certain religious values. The legislation provides that any school that has this objective may admit a student of a particular religious denomination in preference to other students.
Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a board of management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the Board refuses enrolment to a student. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to either the relevant Educational Training Board or to the Secretary General of my Department.
The Child and Family Agency, is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The Agency can be contacted at 01 6352854 or by e-mail at info@tusla.ie.
The Deputy may be aware that Government gave approval in March of this year for drafting the Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill 2014 and drafting is currently underway.The objective of the Admissions to School Bill is to provide an over-arching framework to ensure that how schools decide on who is enrolled and who is refused a place in schools is more structured, fair and transparent.
A key objective in designing the framework is to create greater confidence for parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools are legitimate, reasonable and fair.
471. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 475 of 25 November 2014, in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow in view of the fact that the agreement to purchase the site was in place last year, the reason this has not been completed; the meaning of commercial sensitivities in this case; if she will provide an undertaking that the project will be completed on time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46236/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the school to which he refers is to be delivered as part of the Schools Bundle 5 PPP project. My Department is actively progressing the delivery of this project.
The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot provide information regarding commercially sensitive matters such as site acquisitions. He should, however, be assured that the delivery of the school in question is a priority for my Department and it is currently on schedule for delivery by the end of 2016.
472. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reduction in expenditure in the 16 educational training boards; and if she would estimate the savings achieved since July 2013. [46256/14]
View answerThe financial allocation to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to pay teachers, special needs assistants, administrative and maintenance staff, for the day to day running of schools and head offices and for certain other programmes is known as the general and post primary programme grant. The grant is divided between pay and non-pay. Funding in respect of 2013 was allocated on a 12 month basis and based on the VEC configuration.
The total pay grant in 2013 amounted to some €710 million. Of this, €361 million was allocated to the VECs between January and June and €349 million to the ETBs from July to December. In 2014 the ETBs were given an initial pay grant of €668 million. This figure included adjustments for additional teachers and anticipated savings from the Haddington Road Agreement. The amount of the final pay grant for 2014 has not yet been determined and, accordingly, it is not yet possible to determine the difference in the grant between 2013 and 2014.
The non-pay grant to each ETB is to meet costs associated with schools, the ETBs' administrative offices and certain other items, such as the schools services support fund, DEIS schools and the book grant. The total non-pay grant in 2013 amounted to some €58 million. Of this, approximately €30 million was allocated to the VECs between January and June and €28 million to the ETBs from July to December.
The Deputy should note that, in 2013, the non-pay grant was reduced by €13.2 million, which took account of the capacity of VECs/ETBs to utilise cash balances on a once off basis. In 2014, although this reduction in exchequer funding was mostly reinstated, due to other factors, the grant was not fully restored and the initial non-pay grant in 2014 is €69 million approximately. The final non-pay grant for 2014 has not yet been determined and, accordingly, it is not yet possible to determine the difference in the grant between 2013 and 2014.
Questions Nos. 473 to 475, inclusive, answered with Question No. 458.
478. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the logic in reforming the junior certificate to accommodate the 40% assessment carried out in schools by subject teachers and the potential pressure on teachers to mark their own student work; her views that logic needs to underpin the change rather than change for the sake of change. [46262/14]
View answerIn my revised proposal for Junior Cycle, presented to the Teacher Unions on 10 November, I have set out a two pronged approach to assessment. It includes a combination of 60% of marks to be allocated to a final exam at the end of third year which will be set and marked by the SEC, alongside 40% of marks to be allocated for school based work such as portfolios and projects to be assessed by teachers which will be accompanied by the SEC monitoring 10-15% of this marking.
What is assessed is valued; school based assessment promotes a learning culture in schools. It recognises and rewards skills which cannot readily be assessed through externally assessed written final examinations.
It is essential that students are marked by their own teachers to promote better student learning and improved student outcomes. School based assessment empowers teachers to support the unique talents and skills of the students in their classrooms. It allows for a much more rounded picture of student achievement to emerge.
This combined approach with its external checks and balances will lead to state certification on completion of junior cycle. It will have integrity and validity and teachers will be supported in this change.
This reform is not about protecting systems, it is about improving standards. The integrity of the existing junior certificate will be maintained and improved by my proposal.
