Written Answers Nos. 472-495
472. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if consideration has been given at EU level to the proposal to create a no-fly zone in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49358/14]
View answerResolution of the Syrian crisis remains a top priority for Ireland and its EU partners. UN Special Envoy Staffan di Mistura discussed measures to address the acute security and humanitarian situation, as well as possible steps to move towards a political process, with Foreign Ministers in Brussels for a meeting of the December 2014 Foreign Affairs Council. The EU is the main donor towards humanitarian relief in Syria, providing a total of €3Bn since the outset of the conflict. Ireland has contributed over €28M.
Any decision on the possible establishment of a no-fly zone in Syria is a matter which falls to the UN Security Council. Ireland has consistently supported greater engagement by the Security Council on tackling the crisis in Syria and co-sponsored a recent resolution on referral of the Syrian conflict to the International Criminal Court earlier this year.
Regrettably, the Security Council has in recent years repeatedly failed to agree on effective measures to tackle the political and security situation in Syria, with the repeated vetoes on proposed action by permanent members of the Council. There is little prospect that any proposal for such a resolution will be approved by the Council at this time.
473. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the percentage of Irish Aid's spend that has been independently audited in 2013 and 2014; if there have been any investigations this year regarding the misappropriation of Irish Aid's budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49359/14]
View answerAll of Irish Aid’s expenditure is independently audited; it is a specific condition of each grant agreement that an independent audit report is provided to my Department. I can confirm that no cases have come to our attention to date in 2014 which would require the Department to carry out its own investigations into the misuse of funds managed under the aid programme. It should be noted that where instances of suspected fraud come to the attention of the Department, these are systematically followed up by the Evaluation and Audit Unit, and are notified to the independent Audit Committee and the Comptroller and Auditor General.
476. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has published its annual report for 2013. [48769/14]
View answerThe Department's annual report for 2013 was published in May 2014 and can be viewed on the Department's website via the following link: http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Corporate-Reports/Annual-Report/Department-of-Education-and-Skills-Annual-Report-2013.pdf.
477. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide in tabular form for each local authority area, the number of schools that applied unsuccessfully for a summer works grant in 2014. [48797/14]
View answerOver 1,600 applications were received under the 2014 Summer Works Scheme. In total, the spending of more than €70 million on the 2014 Summer Works Scheme has been approved to allow over 770 schools undertake improvement works. In that regard, I wish to advise the Deputy that provision has been made in the 2015 allocation for the carryover costs of the improvement works concerned. Commensurate with the level of funding set aside for the Scheme, applications were assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the Circular accompanying the Scheme. Unfortunately, due to the scale of demand for funding under the Scheme, it was not possible to grant aid all applications. However, in accordance with the Scheme's Circular, these applications will be retained and will be prioritised for consideration in the future, subject to availability of funding. In respect of the further details in tabular form requested by the Deputy, I wish to advise that the information requested is not available on a local authority basis. However the information requested can be provided on a county basis and will be forwarded separately to the Deputy in the coming days.
478. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are circumstances whereby Student Universal Support Ireland will accept a late grant application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48820/14]
View answerIt is the responsibility of the student to ensure that their application for a student grant is submitted before the deadline. The national student grant awarding body, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), opened its online application system for the 2014/2015 academic year on 8 May, 2014 with the closing date further extended to 06 November 2014. Late applications may be accepted by SUSI, but not later than one month before the end of the academic year to which the application relates, where a student has had an exceptional change of circumstances as outlined in Article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2014. All requests for late applications are examined and considered on a case-by-case basis. In accepting a late application SUSI will have established that exceptional change of circumstances have occurred and have considered why the request was not made before the deadlines. The student referred to by the Deputy may contact SUSI support desk at 076 - 108 7874 to enquire about making a late application for the 2014/15 academic year where exceptional change of circumstances have occurred.
479. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of apprenticeships that have been created within the construction industry for each of the past ten years by sector; the plans she has to create sufficient apprenticeships to meet the demand in the sector for qualified skilled craft workers. [48845/14]
View answerSOLAS have the figures requested by the Deputy for apprenticeships within the construction industry for the past ten years by sector and I have asked them to send these figures directly to the Deputy. In terms of creating sufficient apprenticeships to meet demand, new apprenticeship registrations in 2014 are up 47% on 2013 for the first nine months of the year. A Review of standards of the first 5 trades (Electrical, Plumbing, Carpentry & Joinery, Metal Fabrication and Heavy Vehicle Mechanic) has been completed by SOLAS and will now be considered by QQI through its processes. Two new trades have been launched, Pipe Fitting and Stone Cutting & Stonemasonry. It should also be noted that following on from the recent Review of Apprenticeship, an Implementation Plan was published by my Department on the 30th June 2014. As part of this plan a new Apprenticeship Council was recently established. The Council is enterprise-led and has representatives from business, trade unions, and further and higher education bodies. The first job of work of the Apprenticeship Council will be to develop and manage a call for proposals from industry for new apprenticeships. It will then evaluate and submit proposals to me in this regard.
480. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the next round of additional resource hours for primary and post-primary pupils will be made; the number of pupils currently awaiting approval for resource hours, having missed the previous deadline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48860/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that all schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to provide for children with special educational or learning support needs through general allocation processes. Additionally, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates additional resource teaching hours to schools for children who have been assessed within the low incidence, or more complex, category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department. Schools were asked to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching support for the 2014/15 school year by 26 March 2014. In order to meet any late demand for resource teaching support arising between the time that the initial allocation was made and the start of the school year, the NCSE requested all schools to submit outstanding applications to the NCSE by 22nd September, 2014. Following this second round of resource teaching allocations, the allocation process for the 2014/15 school year has effectively concluded, other than in relation to a small number of emergency cases, or where schools do not have any resource teaching allocation. In such cases, schools who wish to make an application for additional low incidence resource teaching hours may make such an application to the NCSE. In other instances schools should provide support for pupils with newly diagnosed conditions from within their overall resource teaching and learning support allocations, pending notification to schools regarding the 2015/16 allocation process. It is a matter for schools to monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance. 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.
481. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected school enrolments for national schools in the Blackrock area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48872/14]
View answer482. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected school enrolments for national schools in the Booterstown area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48873/14]
View answer483. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected school enrolments for national schools in the Glasthule area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48874/14]
View answer484. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected school enrolments for national schools in the Foxrock area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48875/14]
View answer485. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected school enrolments for national schools in the Cabinteely area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48876/14]
View answer486. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected school enrolments for national schools in the Deansgrange area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48877/14]
View answer487. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's school building/classroom plans to facilitate for the growing number of primary school entrants aged four plus in the Blackrock area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48878/14]
View answer488. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's school building/classroom plans to facilitate for the growing number of primary school entrants aged four plus in the Booterstown area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48879/14]
View answer489. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's school building/classroom plans to facilitate for the growing number of primary school entrants aged four plus in the Glasthule area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48880/14]
View answer490. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's school building/classroom plans to facilitate for the growing number of primary school entrants aged four plus in the Foxrock area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48881/14]
View answer491. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's school building/classroom plans to facilitate for the growing number of primary school entrants aged four plus in the Cabinteely area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48882/14]
View answer492. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's school building/classroom plans to facilitate for the growing number of primary school entrants aged four plus in the Deansgrange area, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48883/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 481 to 492, inclusive, together.
My Department is currently analysing the latest demographic data on a nationwide basis to determine where additional school accommodation might be needed at primary level in the coming years. This process includes an examination of the Blackrock, Booterstown, Glasthule, Foxrock, Cabinteely and Deansgrange areas. When this exercise has been completed, arrangements will made to make additional accommodation available where it is needed. My Department has provided a total of 13 additional classrooms in primary schools in the Stillorgan, Mount Merrion, Booterstown and Dalkey area in 2013 and 2014. In addition, my Department has approved devolved grants to schools to provide 8 further classrooms in Booterstown, Dalkey, Foxrock and Glasthule. It is, of course, open to primary schools themselves in the areas in question to submit an application at any time to my Department for additional classrooms should their current accommodation be insufficient to cater for primary school entrants.
493. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the advice she provides to parents whose children over the age of four have been refused school entry in the Dún Laoghaire constituency for the school year beginning September 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48884/14]
View answerThe selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. This Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a place for every applicant, a selection process may be necessary. 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 disclose its enrolment policy and to ensure that as regards that policy that principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents' choice are respected. Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of an Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year. This Department has no authority to compel a school to admit a pupil, except in the case of an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 being upheld. Application forms for taking a section 29 appeal are available on my Department's website at the following link http://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/Appeal-against-Permanent-Exclusion-Suspension-or-Refusal-to-Enrol/Section-29-Appeals-Application-Form.doc, or by contacting Section 29 Administration Unit, Friars Mill Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, phone 0761 108588. The Deputy will be aware that it is my firm view that all schools should be inclusive. It is with this spirit of inclusiveness that the proposed Admissions to Schools Bill is designed. The regulatory framework should see improved access to schools for all pupils and ensure there is consistency, fairness and transparency in the admissions policies of schools and in the service they provide to parents. If the parent feels that they may have experienced discrimination, they may wish to contact the Equality Tribunal which is an independent State body set up to investigate or mediate complaints of discrimination. They can be contacted at The Equality Tribunal, Davitt House, 65A Adelaide Road, Dublin 2, Tel: +353 1 6136800 or Email: info@equalitytribunal.ie.
494. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will qualify for free fees and a maintenance grant; if not, if there are other financial supports available to the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48916/14]
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 helpdesk, 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 The position with regard to free fees funding is that students who already hold an undergraduate qualification are not eligible for assistance. Where a student does not meet the eligibility criteria of the free fees schemes it is the higher education institution, as an autonomous body, that determines in accordance with its own criteria the fee payable by students. In addition to the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances Information on the fund is available through the Access Office in the third level institution attended. The fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis. A further support available is that of tax relief at the standard rate on tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie.
495. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 178 of 1 July 2014, the number of relief teaching days allocated to teachers on a departmental pension in 2013-14 and the current school year at primary and post-primary, respectively; the steps being taken to reduce this number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48927/14]
View answerThe most recent information available on retired teachers being employed by the managerial authorities of schools relates to the period April to June 2014. During this period the total number of teaching days that retired teachers worked was 2,657. Retired Primary school teachers worked 1,577 days and retired Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools teachers worked 1,080 days. A total of 348 retired teachers were employed during this period; 198 retired primary teachers and 150 retired voluntary secondary and community and comprehensive teachers were employed. However, 76% of those teachers worked the equivalent of 10 days or less during this 3 month period. The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the managerial authorities of schools give priority to the employment of unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant teaching posts. My Department has issued a number of circulars addressing this issue in recent years. Under the terms of these circulars school Principals must maintain a list of unemployed registered teachers who are available for substitute work at short notice and report to the Board of Management on any exceptional occasion where they have to engage a registered teacher who is retired. A retired teacher who returns to teaching on or after 1 February 2012 commences at the first point of the incremental salary scale. Incremental credit for service prior to 1 February 2012, qualification allowances and certain job role allowances are also not payable. These measures represents a significant financial disincentive for teachers who retired at the top of their salary scale, often with a post of responsibility allowance, to return to teaching.
