Finian McGrath
Question:158. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding home tuition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12193/15]
View answerHome Tuition Scheme Eligibility
Questions (158)
Written answers
My Department administers two separate Home Tuition Schemes. From the limited information provided by the Deputy it is not clear if the pupil in question would qualify for either scheme.
One of the schemes provides for a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides for children with special educational needs awaiting a suitable educational placement and for early intervention for children with autism.
The application form and Circular 0048/2014, which details the eligibility criteria for the scheme, are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.
A separate scheme provides tuition for children who do not have a school place and for whom a school place is being actively sought. This scheme may, subject to certain criteria, provide Home Tuition for children on whose behalf an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 has been lodged.
Applications for this scheme may be made through the local office of Tusla, Child and Family Agency - contact details are available on their website at www.tusla.ie.
The Deputy may be aware that my Department published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year.
The procedures which are also available on my Department's website are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. They include specific requirements in relation to the use of prevention and education strategies and the consistent investigation, follow up and recording of bullying behaviour.
Special Educational Needs Staff
Questions (159)
Sean Fleming
Question:159. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of employing an additional 350 special needs assistants in schools on an annual basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12206/15]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Government committed, as part of the budget announcements made last year, to provide for 365 new Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts to support children with special educational needs in schools in 2015.
This increase is additional to the increase of 390 posts which this Government announced in December 2013, which had raised the previous cap from 10,575 available SNA posts to 10,965 posts.
The total number of SNAs available for allocation in 2015 is therefore now 11,330 posts, which is the highest number of SNAs available for allocation that we have ever had. This will ensure that children with special educational care needs can continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner appropriate to their needs.
Based on current average SNA salary costs, the full year cost of employing an additional 350 SNAs in schools would equate to approximately €11.5 million.
Teacher Recruitment
Questions (160)
Sean Fleming
Question:160. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the annual increase in cost of employing 1,400 additional teachers, based on average starting rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12207/15]
View answerWritten answers
The average annual salary cost for a teacher can vary between primary and post-primary level. However, the combined average annual cost for both sectors, inclusive of employer's PRSI, is circa. €47,500. The average annual increase in costs used for estimating purposes is currently €1,970, inclusive of employer's PRSI.
The full year cost for an additional 1,400 teachers is therefore of the order of €66.5 million with an annual increase of circa. €2.8 million. The Government's focus in recent years has been on operating a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis.
My main priority for any additional resources for the foreseeable future will be to cater for the continuing increase in demographics at all levels in the education system. We have a growing population of young people in this country and despite the difficult financial circumstances we face as a country, we prioritised education so that the number of teachers we have in the system has also grown in order to protect existing pupil teacher ratios. There were a thousand more teachers employed in schools around the country in the last school year, than there was the year before. There will be a further increase of circa 1,300 teachers in the current school year. This is a very significant investment at a time of scarce resources.
Special Educational Needs Service Provision
Questions (161, 163, 164, 165)
Patrick O'Donovan
Question:161. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria used to decide the children who receive the July provision in their school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12209/15]
View answerPatrick O'Donovan
Question:163. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is an appeals mechanism in place for a school and-or parent who are not successful with a July provision application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12211/15]
View answerPatrick O'Donovan
Question:164. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school has discretion when it comes to deciding which students can participate in the July provision for special needs children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12219/15]
View answerPatrick O'Donovan
Question:165. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way her Department decides which schools receive the July provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12220/15]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 163 to 165, inclusive, together. School based July Provision is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism and/or those with severe/profound learning disability that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. Where school based provision is not feasible, home based provision may be grant aided. Schools may choose not to extend their services for July and in such cases eligible children in the school may apply for home based July Provision.
All pupils enrolled in a school with a diagnosis of autism and/or with a severe/profound learning disability are eligible for home based provision if their school is not participating in the school based scheme. Children who do not have either of these diagnosed conditions are not eligible and may not apply for July Provision ; schools have no discretion in this regard.
However children from mainstream classes with a diagnosis of autism are eligible for home based tuition for July and in certain circumstances the school may facilitate these children in the school based scheme as an alternative to the home based option. Decisions in relation to July Provision may be appealed. Parents and Schools may address appeals directly to the July Provision Unit in the Special Education Section of my Department.
Student Grant Scheme Eligibility
Questions (162)
Billy Kelleher
Question:162. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will assist a lone parent (details supplied) who can no longer receive funding to complete a postgraduate course due to the removal of the one-parent family payment, the removal of that person's entitlement to the back-to-education allowance and the special rate of grant for disadvantaged students, and the removal by her Department of maintenance grants for new postgraduate students from the 2012-13 academic year. [12210/15]
View answerWritten answers
New students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards are not entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. Those who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270.
The qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant, in the 2014/15 academic year, as specified under the 2014 student grant scheme is as follows:
1. The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant;
2. Total reckonable income, after income disregards and Child Dependant Increase(s) are excluded, must not exceed €22,703;
3. As at 31st December, 2013, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme.
It is important to note that the prescribed eligible social welfare payments extend beyond those of the One Parent Family Payment and the Back to Education Allowance referred to by the Deputy.
It is a matter for the Department of Social Protection to determine entitlement to an alternative social welfare payment, of the person referred to by the Deputy, following the period of eligibility to the One Parent Family Payment.
Questions Nos. 163 to 165, inclusive, answered with Question No. 161.