Written Answers Nos. 734-746
734. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is any monitoring process in place to ensure that schools engage in providing health foods; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23725/15]
View answerThe main programme for food provision in primary and post primary schools is the School Meals Scheme. The operation of that scheme is an issue for the Minister for Social Protection. My Department's main responsibility in this area is to equip students with the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed and healthier choices in a range of areas, including nutrition. This is addressed in schools through subjects such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), and Home Economics as well as in PE.
My Department collates data from schools on a range of issues relating to healthy eating and physical activity through the 'Lifeskills' survey of all primary and post primary schools. This survey first issued in 2009 and was repeated in 2012. The findings from the 2012 survey were published by my Department last year and are available on www.education.ie. The 2015 Lifeskills survey is currently being completed by primary and post primary schools. It is my intention to publish the results of this survey before the end of 2015. This will provide a benchmark for schools' performance in this area since 2009 and 2012.
One of the specific issues addressed through the Lifeskills survey is whether schools have a healthy eating policy in place. The data from schools indicated that almost all primary schools and the majority of post primary schools have a healthy eating policy in place or are in the process of developing one. The survey also asks schools whether there is a facility on site, such as a vending machine or school shop, for selling less healthy foods. The data from the 2012 survey indicated that approximately 30% of post primary schools had a vending machine that contained less healthy alternatives. There were no such facilities reported in respondent primary schools. In response to such findings, my Department has finalised guidance for schools about how to further promote healthy lifestyles. This encompasses measures to promote healthy eating, healthy vending, as well as the promotion of P.E. and Physical Activity. The guidance has been drafted in consultation with the Department of Health and the HSE. It will issue in September 2015, to post primary schools initially. The issue of this guidance will coincide with the publication by the Department of Health of updated guidelines for post primary schools on the development of healthy eating policies.
735. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department has failed to provide additional administrative support to a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; her views on the fact that there is just one member of administrative staff to support a new school that will have approximately 400 students from September 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23730/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be familiar with the moratorium on recruitment and promotions, in accordance with which no public service post, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion or payment of an allowance for performance of duties at a higher grade. In that regard, the Department was granted a limited derogation from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which allowed administrative and maintenance posts in ETB schools to be sanctioned in exceptional circumstances.
The school to which the Deputy refers is an Education and Training Board (ETB) school. The Department provides an administrative support staffing allocation to each ETB, and the distribution of this staffing allocation amongst its schools is a matter for the ETB in question. Accordingly, requests for additional administrative support staff are made to the Department by ETBs, not by individual schools. In July 2013 the Department received a request from Waterford and Wexford ETB for additional administrative resources, in respect of the school to which the Deputy refers. This request was granted. The Department has not been contacted by the ETB since that point in time.
If the school authorities wish to pursue this matter they should address their concerns to Waterford and Wexford ETB in the first instance.
736. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) in County Roscommon has to wait a further year to receive the learning support hours applicable to the appointment of an additional post; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23734/15]
View answerSince September 2012 the combined resources available for learning support (General Allocation Model at Primary) and language support have been merged into a single simplified allocation process. The GAM/EAL arrangements for the 2015/16 school year are set out in Circular 0005/2015 and are based on a school's mainstream classroom posts for the 2014/15 school year. Appendix C of that circular lists the allocation for all schools. Where schools do not have sufficient GAM/EAL hours to create a full-time post, a process is in place for such schools to enter into cluster arrangements with neighbouring schools. Schools have autonomy on how to deploy the resource between language support and learning support depending on their specific needs.
737. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to sanction resources for the redevelopment of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 16; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23744/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has received an application from the school in question for improved accommodation. This application must be considered in the context of the general demographic need in the area. In this regard, my Department's Forward Planning Section is monitoring the demographic demand in the area and a new primary school was opened in Ballinteer in September 2012. When fully developed, this school will have capacity for 16 mainstream classrooms.
Last April, my Department approved grant aid to the school to which the Deputy refers under the Summer Works Scheme for window replacement. This is in addition to grant aid of over €635,000 that the Department provided to the school in recent years for additional accommodation, prefab replacement and roof works. Last December, the school also received a total of €12,141 under the Minor Works Grant Scheme and this scheme facilitates schools in prioritising capital works that they wish to undertake to the school's structure and site.
738. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to maintain the current level of special needs assistance support in a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23751/15]
View answerThe 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
It is important to note that each school's allocation of SNA support can change from year to year and may be increased or decreased as students who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. New students with care needs may, or may not, enrol to replace students who have left, for example, or SNA allocations may be decreased where a child's care needs have diminished over time.
The deployment of SNAs within schools is then a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
The NCSE invited schools to make applications for SNA support for children who have assessed care needs for the coming 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015, for their consideration.
The NCSE are currently considering all of the applications for support which have been received, including those which have been received after the 18th March, and will advise schools of the outcome of their applications ahead of the new school year.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, while 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.
739. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills if any adjustment in marking will be made as a result of the much criticised imbalance (details supplied) between the higher and ordinary level leaving certificate mathematics paper 1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23752/15]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
740. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the existence of a religious ethos in education; her further views that this has a negative impact on employment equality in education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23788/15]
View answerWhile our system of patronage has demonstrated a capacity to facilitate change and evolution, it is the case that the vast majority of primary schools are still under religious patronage. While recognising the role that denominational schools have played in welcoming children from diverse backgrounds and the continuing role for denominational schools, we have made changes to the patronage system with the model of provision for new schools being reflective of parental demand for the types of schools they want to send their children to. We are also making progress under the patronage divesting process, with five schools divested to from denominational patronage between 2013 and 2014, and a further four to divest patronage in September 2015.
The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government gives a commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for our schools. In this context, the Minister established a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism which, among other issues, made recommendations as to how all primary schools can cater for the diverse range of beliefs and nationalities that are now an intrinsic part of Irish society. Details of the outcome of the work of the Forum are published on the Department's website.
The Programme for Government also contains a commitment that "People of non-faith or minority religious backgrounds and publicly identified LGBT people should not be deterred from training or taking up employment as teachers in the state."
In this regard, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) designate was asked to undertake a public consultation and examine the issues involved in relation to amending Section 37 of the Employment Equality Acts 1998 - 2011. The Commission forwarded legal advice it had obtained as well as the options it had considered. These have been considered by the Attorney General's Office.
My colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will bring forward the necessary amendments to the legislation.
741. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the additional support available for persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23796/15]
View answerStudent grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period.
The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions in different households.
The Student Grant Scheme provides for higher income thresholds for larger families. In addition to this, further increases in the income thresholds are provided for where additional family members are attending further and higher education at the same time.
In addition to the supports under 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 Officer in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
742. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the case of a young person (details supplied) regarding resource hours. [23827/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support to schools to support children with special educational needs and additional care needs, respectively.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.
The NCSE has now published details of the resource teaching allocations which will be made to each school for September 2015 on its website www.ncse.ie. The NCSE will also have a second round allocation process to respond to late enrolments, or from diagnosed disabilities emerging after the closing date for the first allocation round, to the start of the new school year.
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. The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs.
As the Deputy's question relates to the consideration of an application for resource teaching support by the NCSE for an individual pupil, I have referred this question to the NCSE for their consideration and direct reply to the Deputy.
743. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding provided to a school (details supplied) in County Laois for additional works, following approval for one mainstream classroom, as these works are required to improve the school building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23902/15]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy was approved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme to provide one additional mainstream classroom, a SET room and my Department also provided a contribution toward the provision of a GP Room.
As this project is on-going, information in relation to the level of funding provided is considered commercially sensitive.
744. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Dublin will be granted a place for next year in the school that the person is currently enrolled in due to that person's special needs. [23933/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs until the end of the school year in which they reach the age of 18.
At that point, the Department of Health/Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults with special educational needs who are over 18 years. My Department, at that stage, may allocate resources towards an education component of such provision.
Special Schools may make an application to my Department to retain pupils over the age of 18 who are pursuing courses leading to accreditation at level 3 or above of the National Qualifications Framework; for one additional year, in order to complete these courses.
Schools are expected to liaise with the health authorities during the final year of a young person's attendance in school to ensure the young person's successful transition to adult services by the time s/he reaches age 18. However, my Department may also provide sanction to special schools, subject to application, to retain a pupil for one additional year beyond the age of 18 to facilitate the transition of a pupil to adult services.
I understand that an application has been made by the school concerned in relation to the retention of the pupil referred to in the Deputy's question for an extra year. However, as the pupil does not meet the criteria outlined above, my Department is not in a position to allow the school an exemption for the retention of the pupil in the school for an additional year. My Department has notified the school authorities in this regard.
745. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the leaving certificate for the ordinary level mathematics examination 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23937/15]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
746. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding special needs assistance hours in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23945/15]
View answerThe 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
The deployment of SNAs within schools is then a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
The NCSE invited schools to make applications for SNA support for children who have assessed care needs for the coming 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015, for their consideration.
The NCSE are currently considering all of the applications for support which have been received, including those which have been received after the 18th March, and will advise schools of the outcome of their applications ahead of the new school year.
Schools who wish to appeal the level of SNA allocation made to them may do so via the appeals process which is set out at www.ncse.ie.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, while 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.
