Written Answers Nos.746-758
746. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the political developments in Israel following the recent general election; his further views on the impact of the election results on the prospects for the recognition of the State of Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11950/15]
View answerWhile the outcome of the Israeli election contradicted pre-election polls and predictions, the balance of the new Knesset is very similar to the outgoing one. There has been a good deal of redistribution of seats between the parties, but the overall numbers on the left and the right have remained almost the same. The election does not therefore seem to mark any radical political change.
The new Israeli Government has not yet been formed, although the strong expectation is of a renewed conservative coalition under Prime Minister Netanyahu. It is too early to speculate on what that government might do, or what effects this might have.
While some statements made during the campaign were certainly unhelpful, we must pay closest attention to what the incoming Government actually does.
Reaction to the outcome of the election confirms that the international community remains firmly convinced that the two state solution remains the only basis for a lasting resolution of the conflict.
747. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason for the presence of two military aircraft belonging to the United States of America at Shannon Airport on 11 March 2015, namely, a United States of America Navy Lockheed C-130T Hercules, number BD5379, and a United States of America Marines KC-130J super Hercules, if An Garda Síochána contacted his Department in relation to the fact that a request was made by a member of the public to search and investigate these aircraft; the direction given by his Department regarding the search, and the basis for this direction. [11992/15]
View answerI can confirm that permission was granted by my Department for the landing of the two aircraft at Shannon Airport for the purpose of crew rest and subject to the strict conditions which apply to all foreign military aircraft. These include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form part of military exercises or operations.
My Department was not contacted by An Garda Síochána in relation to these aircraft.
In accordance with international practice, foreign military aircraft passing through Ireland with the permission of the Government are not subject to routine searches or inspections. The principle of sovereign immunity applies automatically to foreign State or military aircraft, in the same way that it applies to Irish State or military aircraft abroad.
751. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funds drawn down or proposed to be drawn down from the European Union social funds in 2014 to support the national implementation of the Youth Guarantee. [11264/15]
View answerThe European Union's Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) provides co-funding to projects in the Member States that are designed to implement the EU Youth Guarantee and other projects designed to get unemployed young people back to work, education or training. The YEI is being delivered in Ireland through the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Education, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020 which was only approved by the European Commission at the end of February. Ireland has been allocated €32 million in Youth Employment Initiative funding in each of the years 2014 and 2015 that has to be matched by equal amounts from our ESF allocation and from the Exchequer. The activities co-funded under the YEI in Ireland include such measures as Youthreach, Momentum, Social Inclusion and Activation Programme and JobBridge and they are under way.
However, it is not possible to draw down the EU funds in respect of the ESF or the YEI until all of the structures and systems to certify expenditure under the EU Regulations are in place and verified by a designated body to a level acceptable to the European Commission. These structures are being put in place at this time. In the meantime, the Exchequer is providing up-front funding for these measures in full.
I expect that Ireland's YEI allocation will be fully drawn down in due course.
752. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funds drawn down or proposed to be drawn down from the European Union Youth Employment Initiative in 2014 to support the national implementation of the Youth Guarantee. [11265/15]
View answerThe European Union's Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) provides co-funding to projects in the Member States that are designed to implement the EU Youth Guarantee and other projects designed to get unemployed young people back to work, education or training. The YEI is being delivered in Ireland through the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Education, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020 which was only approved by the European Commission at the end of February. Ireland has been allocated €32 million in Youth Employment Initiative funding in each of the years 2014 and 2015 that has to be matched by equal amounts from our ESF allocation and from the Exchequer. The activities co-funded under the YEI in Ireland include such measures as Youthreach, Momentum, Social Inclusion and Activation Programme and JobBridge and they are under way.
However, it is not possible to draw down the EU funds in respect of the ESF or the YEI until all of the structures and systems to certify expenditure under the EU Regulations are in place and verified by a designated body to a level acceptable to the European Commission. These structures are being put in place at this time. In the meantime, the Exchequer is providing up-front funding for these measures in full.
I expect that Ireland's YEI allocation will be fully drawn down in due course.
753. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 521 of 24 February 2015, if she will investigate and act to stop the apparent illegality in the admissions policy to a national school (details supplied), in view of the fact that she indicated that she would in the reply to the parliamentary question. [11072/15]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers is a recognised primary school under the Patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin.
Existing equality legislation, which 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 equality legislation provides that any primary or post-primary school that has this objective may admit a student of a particular religious denomination in preference to other students. The legislation also provides that a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment that promotes certain religious values can refuse to admit a student who is not of that religion only where the school proves that this refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.
Schools that comply with the requirements of the equality legislation do not therefore discriminate on religious grounds. The issue of illegality in the admissions policy referred to by the Deputy does not therefore arise.
754. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the negotiations and discussions that have taken place at a local level between local management and local trade union representatives in Dublin Institute of Technology, Tallaght Institute of Technology and Blanchardstown Institute of Technology, in respect of the proposed merger of these three institutes and the anticipated change in their status; her views on the matter of trade union engagement in this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11074/15]
View answerGood communication between the leadership of any institute of technology entering into a merger and the staff and students of that higher education institution is extremely important so that a shared vision and understanding of the new institution can be developed. That message has been conveyed by the HEA and by my Department from the outset and I understand that consultation has taken place in the three institutes involved in the Dublin merger.
There has been broad engagement with stakeholders on this aspect of higher education reform, not least during the pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Technological Universities Bill which was conducted by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection in 2014. That process enabled a range of stakeholders to recommend changes to the General Scheme which will be taken on board during the drafting process.
755. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the provision of autism supports for secondary school students; her views that more needs to be done to put supports in place in mainstream secondary settings; her further views that while autism units are in place in mainstream primary schools, very few similar facilities exist in secondary schools; the facilities that are available in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11079/15]
View answerThis Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network.
Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by fully qualified professional teachers, with the support of special needs assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.
Young people with autism transitioning from primary school placements have a number of alternative options including mainstream placement in post-primary school with support, placement in a special class in a mainstream school or placement in a special class in a special school.
Special Classes in mainstream schools are intended for children who, by virtue of their level of Special Educational Needs, cannot reasonably be educated in a mainstream class setting, but who can still attend their local school in a special class with a lower pupil–teacher ratio and SNA support.
The Deputy will also be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with Special Educational Needs, including Autism. It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish special classes in schools in various geographical areas as required.
SENOs actively engage with schools annually in order to plan for, and to open, new special classes each year in order to ensure there are sufficient special class placements available at primary and post-primary school level to meet demand in a given area.
The number of classes at post-primary level is growing annually. The total number of special classes for children with Autism in mainstream schools throughout the country at the end of 2014 was 626 of which 152 were in post-primary schools.
SENOs have been working with local schools on a national basis over the past number of months to plan and establish special classes for children with SEN who require such placements for 2015/2016. This work is ongoing in some counties and SENOs continue to liaise and work with schools in order to meet the demand for such placements at local level.
Details of the current classes in Co. Kerry are available on the NCSE website www.NCSE.ie. However I have arranged for the Deputy's request on detail of provision in the county to be forwarded to the NCSE for their direct attention and reply as they can update the Deputy once the position on new classes for 2015/2016 is established.
756. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) in County Dublin has been operating without a board of management; if this is permitted under legislation; and her plans to rectify this matter. [11159/15]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers is one of nine community national schools that have been established in recent years. Pending the transfer of patronage of the community national schools to the relevant Education and Training Boards, I as Minister for Education and Skills am acting as patron of these schools.
Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, a 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 community national schools, I have, in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 appointed single managers to manage the schools. The arrangements for the transfer of patronage of these schools to the relevant ETBs and the establishment of boards of management are currently being considered in my Department.
757. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made in relation to the accommodation needs, and water treatment system upgrade or replacement, in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; her views on the provision of prefabricated or permanent structures on this site; and if she will expedite the request from the school to deal with accommodation and site issues. [11187/15]
View answerIn February, 2012 the school referred to by the Deputy was approved devolved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for the provision of mainstream classrooms.
The school authorities have sought additional funding for a new waste water treatment system on the basis that the existing septic tank at the school is non-compliant with Environmental Protection Agency regulations and is not sufficient to cater for the new approved accommodation.
My Department's Planning and Building Unit has recently written to the school authority requesting a site testing and characterisation report and as soon as this is received their application of additional funding will receive further consideration.
758. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of pupils, by county, in both primary and secondary schools who are in classes of over 30 pupils or more, for the years 2011 to 2014 and 2015 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11190/15]
View answerThe number of pupils in classes over 30 for the years requested is available by individual primary school on the Department's website at the following link http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Data-on-Individual-Schools/. This list includes the county council of the school.
Due to the moveable nature of classes at post-primary level depending on subject choices, class size data is not available at post-primary level.
