Written Answers Nos. 126-131
126. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the specific steps that she is taking to enhance supports for children with a learning disability within the education system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15323/15]
View answerExpenditure supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs will amount to over €1.37bn in 2015, which is equivalent to approximately 15% of the overall allocation for education and training. As part of Budget 2015, an additional 365 Special Needs Assistant posts is being provided in 2015, as well as an additional 480 Resource Teachers, taking into account increased demand and demographic growth and to ensure that children can continue to have access to additional supports in school. In addition, over 130 new Special Classes have been established for the 2014/15 school year.
The NCSE continues to plan and coordinate the provision of education and support services to ensure that the educational requirements of children with special needs can continue to be met in all areas. A new Inclusion Support Service is also being established within the NCSE, to assist schools in supporting children with special educational needs. In addition, my Department is developing a new resource teaching allocation model for schools and a pilot of the new model will be trialled in the next school year.
127. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she expects to be in a position to bring about a reduction in class sizes, with particular reference to locations experiencing an increase in population; if the School Building Programme needs to be augmented in order to facilitate progress in this area; if she is conscious of the need for particular efforts in this regard in schools currently having a higher than national average class size / pupil teacher ratio; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15836/15]
View answerMy focus in Budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth. The last Budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60m during 2015.
This funding will be used to provide 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs for our schools, as well as to fund prioritised reforms, such as implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategy, reform of junior cycle, and the introduction of education focussed pre-school inspections. The improvements in the Primary Staffing Schedule for small schools which I announced in February last are the only changes that I will be making to the staffing arrangements for schools for the 2015/16 school year. The staffing arrangements for schools currently include the provision where schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds. Such posts are provisionally approved pending confirmation of actual enrolment on the following 30th September. My Department continues to review the most up to date demographic information to ensure that any emerging school accommodation shortfall, at both primary and post primary level, is identified and met in a timely manner. The Government's approach to restoring the economy has helped Ireland to return to a position where we are seeing economic growth. It is a continuing improvement in our economic growth over a sustained period that will enable us to move to a point where we can look again at providing for additional teacher resources in schools which could bring about further improvement in PTR, class size and support for classroom teachers. The challenge for all schools is to ensure that they utilise their allocated resources to best effect to maximise teaching and learning outcomes.
128. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills when work will commence on the security upgrade of the building and site at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 14, in view of health and safety concerns which have been acknowledged by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15843/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the school to which she refers has applied to my Department for improved accommodation. This application is currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process has been completed. With regard to the health and safety concerns expressed, the school received a Minor Works grant of €10,846 last November. The Minor Works Grant will allow schools to carry out improvement works to school buildings and grounds and it is open to schools to prioritise the works it wishes to undertake within the terms of the scheme. It is also open to the school authority to submit an application for Emergency Works funding should they deem that any of the works required come within the scope of the Emergency Works Scheme. The main purpose of this Scheme is to ensure the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are most in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation. An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and in the case of a school, if not corrected, would prevent the school or part thereof from opening. Details of the Scheme, together with an application form for grant assistance, can be accessed on my Department's website at www.education.ie.
129. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, from 2011 to date in 2015, the level of funding provided to Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in County Cork; the number of teachers employed for the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15844/15]
View answerColáiste Stiofáin Naofa, Cork, is under the aegis of Cork Education and Training Board (ETB), formerly under the aegis of City of Cork VEC. Financial allocations are made to ETBs as part of a block grant. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of funding and each ETB is allowed to distribute its allocations in line with its priorities and needs. Teacher allocations to all ETB schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each ETB is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The deployment of teaching staff, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the ETBs. Accordingly, my Department does not have available to it a breakdown of the distribution of funds or teaching posts to individual ETB schools, including Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa, by City of Cork VEC and Cork ETB, in the period referred to by the Deputy.
130. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the essential refurbishment of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry, to enable its amalgamation with another school, which has been requested for a number of years; if the necessary funding will be urgently provided to ensure the work is completed for the September school term to facilitate the amalgamation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15853/15]
View answerI am pleased to advise the Deputy that a devolved grant has been approved in principle for works required to facilitate the amalgamation of the schools in question. I understand that correspondence in this regard issued to the schools concerned in recent days.
131. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills is she will confirm the details of the higher authority that governs School Boards of Management to ensure proper procedures and directives are adhered to. [15868/15]
View answerIn accordance with the Education Act 1998, schools are managed by Boards of Management on behalf of the relevant school patrons. Under the provisions of the Act, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and it is the Board of Management that employs the teachers and other staff at the school.
Under section 16 of the 1998 Act where the patron is satisfied that the functions of the Board are not being effectively discharged, the patron may, subject to the consent of the Minister, dissolve the Board. Section 17 of the Act also provides that where the Minister is satisfied that the functions of the Board are not being effectively discharged or where the Board wilfully neglects to comply with any order, direction or regulation of the Minister given or made under the Act, the Minister may require the patron to dissolve the Board. In cases where the Board is dissolved, the patron may appoint a manager or managers to perform the functions of the Board. Section 28 of the Education Act 1998 provides for grievance and appeal procedures in schools. It expresses a desirability of determining appeals and resolving grievances in the school concerned.
Section 29 of the Act sets out a limited set of circumstances a parent can appeal administrative decisions of a school. These are confined to expulsions, suspensions or refusal to enrol. I have previously indicated that I am not satisfied with the current provisions of Section 28. I plan to revise it in order to provide in law for a Parent and Student Charter. Changing how schools engage with, listen and respond to parent concerns will be an important part of a Charter.
With this in mind, a set of principles will be required to act as a charter to strengthen the relationship between parents, students and schools, and the position of parents and students generally within the school system.
