Written Answers Nos. 232-241
232. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a telephone line service for Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas to contact the Passport Office regarding queries from constituents. [26491/15]
View answerThe Department currently has a dedicated channel of communication for Oireachtas representatives, and any passport-related queries through this channel are dealt with without delay. Details are regularly circulated to Oireachtas members, most recently on 8 June 2015.
233. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the annual saving to his Department if spending on education and training was reduced by 2.5%, 5% and 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26921/15]
View answerExpenditure on education and training in my Department in 2014 was €631,686. Based on that figure, the percentage reductions specified by the Deputy would result in the following outcomes:
|
- |
2.5% € |
5% € |
10% € |
|
Resulting reductions in expenditure |
15,792 |
31,584 |
63,169 |
234. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the annual saving to his Department if spending on professional fees, including but not limited to legal, IT-related, accountancy, and other advisory and consultancy fees, was reduced by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26950/15]
View answerMy Department engages professional service providers in a number of areas where the required skills are not available in-house and it is more cost- effective to source them externally. Details of payments in the twelve months to the end of 2014 are included below in respect of Vote 27 (International Co-operation) and Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade).
Vote 27 - €2.305 M
Vote 28 - €5.675 M
Total - €7.980 M
The application of a 10% reduction to this expenditure would result in a net saving of €0.798m.
Decisions on the need to commission and engage professional service providers are subject to the establishment of appropriate business cases and an approvals process carried out by Senior Management in the Department. These services are procured by open competitive tender in accordance with EU and national rules and comply with the overall value for money objective of the Department. The level of expenditure on professional service providers is constantly monitored.
235. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the annual saving to the Exchequer if the Minister's special adviser's salary was capped at the first point of the principal officer grade, that is €75,647; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26964/15]
View answerThere are currently 3 Special Advisors employed in my Department. None of them are paid a salary rate above the first point of the Principal Officer scale. Hence there would be no saving to the Exchequer if the Special Advisors’ salary was capped at the first point of the Principal Officer pay scale.
236. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason persons who have a masters degree in chaplaincy and pastoral care plus a bachelor of arts degree are prevented from applying for, or being considered for, the position of school chaplain on the basis that they are not registered teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26448/15]
View answerThe position regarding School Chaplain posts which are paid by the State is set out in Circular 0025/2013 . Such posts are regarded as teaching posts and, therefore, those appointed to them must be registered teachers. The terms and conditions of teachers employed in Oireachtas funded teaching posts are agreed at the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) and are of general application to all teachers appointed to such posts. The Council is composed of representatives of the teacher representative bodies, school management, the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission.
The permanent contract for Chaplains in Designated Community Colleges and Community and Comprehensive schools agreed at Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) in 2014, notes that the nature of the post includes the teaching of subject/s to a maximum of four contracted hours per week.
237. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a classroom extension project in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Mayo will commence; the reason the project has been delayed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26451/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department recently approved additional funding for the extension project to which he refers. The project has been devolved to the Education Training Board for delivery and it will be a matter for the ETB to determine a commencement date. I am aware that it was necessary for the ETB to retender the project owing to the withdrawal of an original tenderer.
238. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the projected cost of providing school transport for pupils who live in Urris, County Donegal for the new school route from Urris to Buncrana via Clonmany for the next school year, 2015-16, is greater than the total cost of providing school transport for pupils who live in Urris on the previous school route from Urris to Carndonagh via Clonmany for the 2014-15 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26460/15]
View answerAs previously advised, the information requested by the Deputy is regarded as commercially sensitive and cannot be released.
239. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 229 of 24 June 2015, the annual cost of introducing a living wage or minimal-threshold gross salary of €11.45 per hour in her Department, as has been provided by all Departments. [26462/15]
View answerThe issue raised by the Deputy would only have an impact of the grades of Service Officer and Cleaner at my Department as the other grades are in receipt of salaries that exceed the threshold of €11.45 mentioned by the Deputy. The staff presently engaged at my Department as Services Officer and Cleaner are on salaries at the higher end of the scale which exceeds a rate of €11.45 per hour in recognition of having completed satisfactory service over a number of years. Therefore, the matter of applying the rate suggested by the Deputy does not currently arise.
240. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding suicide rates and support for students to reduce financial strain; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26468/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that Connecting for Life, the new national strategic framework to reduce suicide 2015-2020, was launched earlier this month by the Government. The lead Department for this initiative is the Department of Health. Contained within this document are a number of commitments from various Government Departments and agencies. In respect of the higher education sector, the HEA has committed to three specific actions, namely, work with the HSE to develop national guidance for higher education institutions in relation to suicide-risk and critical-incident response, thereby helping to address any gaps which may exist in the prevention of suicide in higher education; support the co-ordination and streamlining of research completed by third-level institutions and encourage the coordination of suicide-prevention initiatives and research across the higher education sector.
The Connecting for Life document is available online at http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/Mental_Health_Services/NOSP/preventionstrategy/. Inquiries in respect of the Connecting for Life initiative should be directed to the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP). The NSOP also has responsibility for initiatives such as SafeTalk and ASIST. SafeTalk and ASIST are two internationally accredited suicide prevention programmes for adults. Both programmes provide competence and confidence for participants to engage with a person who may be experiencing emotional crisis and encourage that person to seek appropriate help. SafeTalk is a half day training programme and ASIST training is provided over two days. Training is provided free of charge by the National Office for Suicide Prevention. Training can be organised through the team of Resource Officers for Suicide Prevention located around the country.
The NOSP also fund a number of programmes targeted at young people, including third level students. This includes services provided by Reach Out, Inspire Ireland, SpunOut.ie, BeLongTo and Young Social Innovators. Services provided includes: information and advice for students and online presence including online therapeutic support. The NSOP works with the Union of Students of Ireland as a key partner. The contact details for the NOSP are: phone 01-6201672 or e-mail info@nosp.ie.
The Student Assistance Fund is managed by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. The Fund is allocated annually to the universities, the institutes of technology, the colleges of education and a number of other higher education institutions. The objective of the Fund is to provide financial assistance to full-time undergraduate or postgraduate students in need of such support. The Fund is intended to support students whose participation in higher education would otherwise be at risk as a direct result of financial difficulties.
The Fund is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support and students with other circumstances giving rise to short or longer-term financial difficulties, including family responsibilities, bereavement, family difficulties, accidents or health problems. In all cases, institutions are responsible for targeting the available resources at those students most in need.
The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is funded by the Department of Social Protection. Inquiries in respect of the BTEA scheme should be referred to that Department.
241. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26487/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provided a purpose built building for the school in question in 2008. My Department, therefore, has no plans to replace the building in the foreseeable future.
