Thursday, 16 Jul 2015

Written Answers Nos. 651-668

Schools Data

Questions (651)

Robert Troy

Question:

651. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills The number of schools constructed to date within counties Westmeath and Longford. [29644/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Over the period 2011 to date (mid-July 2015) a total of seven large scale projects were completed in counties Longford and Westmeath. These projects comprise the following: Two new primary schools and one new post-primary school.Two large scale extensions at primary level and two large extensions at post-primary level.

Schools Building Projects Status

Questions (652)

Michael Fitzmaurice

Question:

652. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Galway will be going to tender as the project is urgent and all design is complete and approved by her Department and the necessary planning permission is in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29681/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2b (Detailed Design) which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert, Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. The Stage 2b submission has been reviewed by my Department and the Design Team have been requested to submit final confirmations that they are satisfied that the Tender Documents are complete, correct and in compliance with the requirements of the Departments Guidelines and the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations (BC(A)R) 2014. However, due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was not possible to include this project in the 5 year construction programme announced in March 2012. School building projects, including the project for this school, which have been initiated but not included in the current five year construction programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to my Department in the future.

Schools Building Projects Status

Questions (653)

Michelle Mulherin

Question:

653. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will approve a devolved grant application by a school (details supplied) in County Mayo to address the inadequacy of accommodation which results in classes being conducted in the school corridor on a regular basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29682/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that funding has recently been approved to the school in question for the provision of two resource rooms. A letter confirming this decision has issued to the school.

School Curriculum

Questions (654)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

654. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the secondary school curriculum keeps changing on a regular basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29706/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The Junior Cycle curriculum was last changed in 1989. The new Junior Cycle reform is being phased in from September 2014 until September 2019. This phasing in approach is to enable the NCCA to prepare new specifications, to allow school leaders and teachers to prepare for the new subjects including the provision of CPD, so that students can have a quality learning experience. At Senior Cycle subjects are reviewed and are phased in over a period of time. The most recent change was to mathematics. Other subjects will be introduced on a phased basis. Thus change is carried out in an agreed manner with the key partners. However, it is important to note that changes to individual subjects happen in a managed way.

School Textbooks Rental Scheme

Questions (655)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

655. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a rental book scheme will be put in place for every school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29707/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The previous Minister launched new "Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools" on the 28th January 2013. These Guidelines provide practical advice to primary and post-primary schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated.

The aim of the Guidelines is to help as many schools as possible to start such book rental programmes.

Schools which already have book rental schemes can save parents up to 80% of the cost of buying new books.

A special "Guide for Parents" was also published, to inform them of how the schemes operate and how parents can help schools to establish and run them.

The National Parents' Council surveyed the views of their members in relation to currently operating book rental schemes.Parents have reported that where book rental schemes operate, they are open to all parents in 95% of cases, and that the cost per child is under €40 per year in a considerable majority of schools.

Perhaps most tellingly, the survey has found that 93% of parents believe that book rental schemes help with the costs of educating a child. Budget 2014 provided funding of €5 million per annum for three years to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that did not operate such schemes. DEIS schools will receive €150 per child and non-DEIS schools will receive €100 per child in seed capital to establish book rental schemes.

The schools which qualified for funding under this scheme received 70% of their funding in 2014 and received the remaining 30% in May 2015. As previously announced primary schools that were operating book rental schemes prior to 2014 will also benefit from this funding. These schools will receive €18 per pupil in mainstream schools and €20 per pupil in DEIS schools over two year period or €7 or €8 per pupil in 2015 and €11 or €12 in 2016.

Every primary school has now been given the opportunity to benefit from the funding secured for the School Book Rental Scheme. My Department also provides €15m annually on book grants for all schools, which can be used for the maintenance and upkeep of book rental stock. The Department gathers information from schools as to whether they operate book rental schemes.

The most recent figures available at primary level indicate that 94% of primary schools operate a book rental scheme. The most recent figures available at second level indicate that 68% of second level schools operate book rental schemes. Ensuring that book rental schemes are available to all parents must therefore clearly be our aim.

As I have stated every primary school has been given the opportunity to benefit from the funding secured for the School Book Rental Scheme and I would urge the remaining second level schools to set up book rental schemes.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Questions (656)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

656. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure a special needs assistant is provided in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29709/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

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 (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. All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed. The NCSE has now published details of SNA allocations for schools for September 2015 on its website. 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.

Student Grant Scheme Reform

Questions (657)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

657. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to review the income criteria for Student Universal Support Ireland grants and to base the awarding of grants on net pay rather than gross pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29712/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The rates of grant and the income thresholds for the Student Grant Scheme are announced annually as part of the Budget. No changes to the rates or thresholds were included in Budget 2015. Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally. 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. It is not proposed to depart from the existing arrangements for the determination of grant eligibility

Emergency Works Scheme Applications

Questions (658)

Michael McCarthy

Question:

658. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application under the emergency works scheme in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29723/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The management authority of the school referred to by the Deputy has applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme for replacement of a boiler, front door and attic insulation at their school. The application is currently being assessed and the school authority will be notified of the outcome as quickly as possible.

Apprenticeship Programmes

Questions (659)

Michael McGrath

Question:

659. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the annual spend on apprenticeship training in each year since 2010; the number of apprentices in training in each year; the way this is broken down across employment sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29774/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The information sought is provided in the following table. An examination of the apprenticeship data demonstrates that the number of apprentices employed in the various sectors has declined over the period 2007-2013, which reflects the lower level of activity within the wider economy, but in particular the construction sector. The number of active apprentices in apprenticeship training with SOLAS at the end of the 2014 stood at 6,913.

However, there was a 40% increase in the number apprentice registrations in 2014 compared to 2013. The prognosis and forecast for future apprenticeships registrations remains strong. The number of apprentices being registered in 2015 by employers is 17% higher than the corresponding time in 2014. The increase in apprentice registration is primary being driven by employers in the electrical, engineering and motor sectors. The programme cost incurred for the delivery of the apprenticeship scheme has generally reduced since 2010. This reduction reflects a decline in the general apprentice and redundant apprentice populations. However, the expected programme costs for 2015 are forecasted to increase in line with growth in the apprentice population.

End of Year Live Population by Sector & Trade 2010 - July 13th 2015

(numbers of apprentices recorded as in employment at 31 December each year).

-	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	July 13th 2015
Construction Total	3808	2761	1693	1197	1437	1531
Brick and Stonelaying	202	147	85	54	53	61
Cabinet Making	150	101	34	10	4	3
Carpentry and Joinery	1745	1169	718	406	471	547
Floor and Wall Tiling	21	15	7	4	2	1
Painting and Decorating	101	89	68	37	33	31
Plastering	175	115	63	40	28	34
Pipefitting						21
Plumbing	1396	1098	687	604	779	750
Stonecutting and Stonemasonry	0	0	0	0	16	19
Wood Machinery	5	4	2	0	0	0
Wood Manufacturing and Finishing	13	23	29	42	51	64
Electrical Total	3566	2997	2167	2030	2552	2812
Aircraft Mechanics	137	126	113	124	136	136
Electrical	3059	2557	1784	1622	2033	2252
Electrical Instrumentation	113	89	82	102	163	188
Electronic Security Systems	48	49	37	35	35	43
Instrumentation	19	16	17	17	25	26
Refrigeration	190	160	134	130	160	167
Engineering Total	964	943	893	1021	1233	1371
Farriery	23	32	31	23	20	26
Industrial Insulation	10	10	10	11	16	27
M.A.M.F.	421	392	359	395	480	512
Metal Fabrication	370	361	322	365	441	502
Sheet Metalworking	71	54	44	43	58	78
Toolmaking	69	94	127	184	218	226
Motor Total	1780	1586	1443	1440	1668	1873
Agricultural Mechanics	132	109	89	98	112	132
Construction Plant Fitting	163	142	127	147	166	187
Heavy Vehicle Mechanics	383	309	286	277	344	390
Motor Mechanics	914	861	808	815	932	1039
Vehicle Body Repairs	188	165	133	103	114	125
Printing & Paper Total	54	40	26	23	23	21
Printing	2	1	2	0	0	0
Bookbinding	1	1	0	0	0	0
Print Media	51	38	24	23	23	21
Grand Total	10172	8327	6222	5711	6913	7608

-	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000
Cost per Year:*	68,015	43,353	32,166	27,942	25,900	34,800

*excludes provision costs in institutes of Technology.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Questions (660)

David Stanton

Question:

660. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will re-examine the special needs assistant allocation in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Cork in view of the complex needs of the children enrolled in the school which allowed for additional SNA allocations in previous years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29820/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I 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 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. Once allocated, 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. All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed. The NCSE has now published details of SNA allocations for schools for September 2015 on its website. The NCSE has confirmed to my Department that the SNA allocation for the school in question for the 2015/16 school year provides a sufficient level of support to cater for the care needs of all qualifying children in the context of the applications received for 2015/16. Details of the manner in which a school or parent may appeal the level of SNA or resource teaching allocation which has been made to support a child in school, to the NCSE, 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.

School Transport Appeals

Questions (661)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

661. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reconsider the refusal of school transport in respect of children (details supplied) in County Wicklow who have special needs and other illnesses. [29855/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for transport where they: have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability in accordance with the designation of high and low incidence disability set out in Department of Education and Skill's (DES) Circular 02/05; and are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs. Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO). An Application Form for school transport should be completed and signed by the Parents, School Principal and the SENO prior to or at the time of first enrolment. School Transport Section of my Department has not received an application from the children in question to the school referred to by the Deputy.

Schools Building Projects Status

Questions (662)

Noel Coonan

Question:

662. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding recent correspondence in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29861/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers submitted a major application for a new school building in November 2013. The current status of all applications, including for the Gaelscoil, in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. To facilitate the provision of a new school building for the Gaelscoil, in question, a greenfield site will be required. In that regard, officials in my Department are currently working with officials from Tipperary County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable permanent site for the Gaelscoil. My Department has apprised the Gaelscoil of the position. My Department has also been in contact with the Gaelscoil, in question, in relation to accommodation concerns, that it has raised, and is continuing to liaise with the Gaelscoil in that regard.

Schools Building Projects Status

Questions (663)

Noel Coonan

Question:

663. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary that has applied for an extension; the time frame for completion of works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29862/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The project referred to by the Deputy has recently completed the Design Team Appointment process. The project is to provide for refurbishment of the listed building on site and an extension to provide overall accommodation for a 16 classroom school. My Department has already secured planning permission for the project using in-house Architectural resources. The newly appointed design team will work on the basis established under that planning permission to bring this project through the remaining stages of the architectural planning process.Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was not possible to include this project in the 5 year construction programme announced in March 2012. School building projects, including the project for this school, which have been initiated but not included in the current five year construction programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to my Department in the future.

Schools Building Projects Status

Questions (664)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

664. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will approve funding for additional works at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare. [29868/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that additional funding has been approved for the school in question and the school authority has been informed.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (665)

Martin Heydon

Question:

665. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of investment from capital spending her Department has made to County Kildare since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29899/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The capital allocation to schools in County Kildare from 2011 to end June 2015 amounted to €122.6m. In addition over the same period there was a capital allocation of €19.7m to Maynooth University.

Departmental Properties

Questions (666)

Michael McCarthy

Question:

666. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the current status of the legal transfer of property (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29962/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

As the Deputy will be aware, the religious congregation that owns existing school property has offered to transfer the property concerned to the State as part of its offer made in response to the publication of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (the Ryan Report). My Department through the Chief State Solicitor's Office is currently working with the Solicitors acting on behalf of the Congregation concerned on the legal procedures and mechanisms required to facilitate the transfer of the property. The process is at an advanced stage.

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Questions (667)

Martin Heydon

Question:

667. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the position for students in repeat years who wish to apply for grant assistance which has caused confusion in the past; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29983/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Under the Student Support Act 2011, applications for student grants are assessed with regard to the Student Grant Scheme and Student Support Regulations of the relevant year.In order to be approved for student grant funding, the eligibility criteria set out in this legislation must be satisfied and this includes that a student meets the criteria in relation to progression within their studies, Article 15 (5). A grant may not be paid in respect of a student doing a repeat period of study on the same or a different course, or where their chosen course of study is not demonstrating that the student is progressing in their studies, Article 15 (6) & (7). However, the Student Grant Scheme provides that an awarding authority has discretion to award and pay a grant in exceptional circumstances where a student is doing a repeat period of study or not meeting the progression criteria, Article 15 (8). In such an instance, the discretion is applied in line with guidelines drawn up by the Minister for Education and Skills which are published each year and are available on SUSI's website, www.susi.ie. The guidelines address that exceptional circumstances may arise which impact on a student completing a particular period of study or undertaking exams and that each application for repeat funding must be treated on a case by case basis.

Departmental Advertising Expenditure

Questions (668)

Denis Naughten

Question:

668. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total cost of public advertising, statutory and non-statutory, funded by her Department in 2013 and 2014 respectively; the corresponding figure for agencies under the control of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30023/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

For the Deputy's information, the Department's advertising costs in 2013 was €321,598.57 and in 2014 was €147,997.16. Expenditure on public advertisements is incurred in connection with a wide range of educational programmes and schemes including staff appointments in the education sector, invitations to attend local hearings, invitations to forward submissions on education-related schemes/projects, and invitations to tender for school building projects. Every effort is made to keep advertising costs as low as possible. With regard to bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information sought is a matter for each agency and is not collated centrally. If the Deputy has an interest in a particular agency, officials will request the agency concerned to provide the relevant information. The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies outlines the responsibilities of state bodies with regard to procurement and the need to achieve value for money while conducting procurement exercises. The Department regularly updates the aegis bodies on developments in relation to public procurement policy and practices. For the Deputy's information details of agencies under the remit of my Department can be downloaded from the Department's website, www.education.ie/.