Tuesday, 22 Sep 2015

Written Answers Nos. 1193 - 1203

School Transport Provision

Questions (1193)

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

1193. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be provided to an individual (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, who currently cannot attain a place on a school bus from their locality to their school; her views that in light of this case, sufficient school transport arrangements are in place across the country for secondary school students, particularly outside Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32066/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from, and are attending, their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Children who are not eligible for school transport, under the terms of the scheme, may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of terms and conditions that are detailed in the scheme.

Bus Éireann has advised that they have not received an application for school transport from the family in question.

School Transport Provision

Questions (1194)

Brian Walsh

Question:

1194. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason school transport assistance was cancelled in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Galway; the eligibility criteria associated with the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30418/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from, and are attending, their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that the children referred to by the Deputy may avail of a school transport service for the current school year.

School Transport Administration

Questions (1195)

Arthur Spring

Question:

1195. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason Bus Éireann did not commence the school bus service until 31 August 2015, given that some schools opened prior to 31 August 2015; and if the commencement date of the Bus Éireann school bus service will be changed to accommodate the parents of children whose schools open prior to 31 August 2015. [30434/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

The scale of the School Transport Scheme, transporting some 113,000 children every school day on some 6,000 school transport routes utilising some 4,000 vehicles every school day makes it the largest public transport operation in the State.

Transport services for both primary and post-primary children are co-ordinated and transport routes are planned and shared in such a way as to ensure that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in an efficient and cost effective manner.

The starting date for school transport services is an integral part of this objective and is arrived at by reference to the standard school year, the requirement that post primary schools be open for a minimum of 167 days and the commencement date of the State examinations in June 2016. The additional cost of providing school transport services outside of the above considerations would be prohibitive on a national basis.

Teaching Qualifications

Questions (1196)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

1196. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the ability of a college (details supplied) to continue to receive recognition from the Teaching Council for its Level 8 graduates to teach in Special Education settings in primary schools or in special education settings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30439/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Under the Teaching Council Acts, the Teaching Council is the regulator and standards body for the teaching profession. One of the main functions of the Council is to register teachers.

Teachers are registered in accordance with the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2009, which set out the standards teachers must meet if they are to be registered.

Regulation 3, covering special education needs and Montessori, was put in place in accordance with the relevant circulars issued by the Department prior to the Council's establishment in 2006. In accordance with this regulation, such teachers are eligible for employment in restricted school settings i.e. in certain categories of special schools and in certain classes in mainstream schools where Irish is not a curricular requirement.

The Council is currently updating the 2009 Regulations. As the statutory professional standards body for teaching in Ireland, the Council is of the view that all teachers should be first and foremost qualified and registered as teachers in their given sector, whether primary or post primary. The Council has advised that Regulation 3 is no longer required and this advice has been accepted by my Department.

The Council has consulted with a number of stakeholders, including the College to which the Deputy refers. Following consultation, the Council has revised its draft regulations to provide that students who commenced this College's level 8 programme in September 2015 will remain eligible to register following graduation.

Should it wish to do so, it is open to the College to submit a revised programme to the Teaching Council for accreditation.

The Deputy should also be aware that individuals who graduate with a Level 8 qualification have access to recognition through the completion of a recognised Professional Masters in Education.

School Accommodation Provision

Questions (1197)

Brian Walsh

Question:

1197. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a primary school (details supplied) in County Galway will be provided with resources to construct a special-needs education room; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30451/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question applied to my Department for funding towards the provision of an additional special education teaching room.

My Department has advised the school that the space sought can be provided through reconfiguring existing accommodation. My Department considers that the provision of additional accommodation is therefore not required.

Higher Education Institutions

Questions (1198, 1199, 1286)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

1198. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 115 of 30 June 2015, if she is aware that the institutes of technology are not following the provisions of the Employment Control Framework at present, as they are allowing publicly-funded positions to be filled by the local Bishop, rather than based on objective criteria around the best interests of students; if she is aware that there is gender discrimination within this practice, as these State-funded positions, awarded by Bishops to Catholic Priests, are essentially public jobs from which women are excluded; and her plans to address this matter. [30476/15]

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

1199. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware that chaplain roles within the Prison Service are routinely advertised through the Public Appointments Service; and if she will introduce a mechanism to ensure that institutes of technology follow this process. [30477/15]

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

1286. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 115 of 30 June 2015, the recourse available to the Higher Education Authority if the recruitment of chaplains is not in line with public sector appointment criteria or the Employment Control Framework for the sector; if she is aware of the fact that most of the recruitment to these positions within the Institutes of Technology is not in line with public sector appointment criteria or the Employment Control Framework for the sector; the plans the HEA has to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31490/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1198, 1199 and 1286 together. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions, including Institutes of Technology. The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions and the internal disbursement of funding is then a matter for the individual institution.

Most third level institutions provide chaplaincy services for their student body and decisions on such provision are matters for the individual institutions as autonomous bodies. Chaplaincy services can be provided by way of either the appointment of a chaplain as a member of staff of the relevant institution or by the provision by the diocese/other appropriate body of a chaplaincy service by way of a contract for services.

The recruitment of staff is also a matter for individual higher education institutions, however, it should be in line with public sector appointment criteria and the provisions of the Employment Control Framework for the sector.

Teachers' Remuneration

Questions (1200)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Question:

1200. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary and secondary school teachers receiving additional pay allowances because they are qualified to Masters level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30500/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The number of teachers on the payroll of my Department in receipt of allowances in respect of the qualifications referred to by the Deputy is contained in the following table.

Education and Training Boards (ETBs) employ and pay their own staff and, accordingly, my Department does not have available to it a breakdown of the numbers of ETB teaching staff in the categories requested by the Deputy.

Number of Teachers in receipt of Masters Degree Allowance

Type of Allowance	Primary	Voluntary Secondary Community and Comprehensive Schools
	2014/15	2014/15
Master’s Degree	3,578	3,334

Child Abuse

Questions (1201)

Michael McNamara

Question:

1201. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she has taken, or will take, to address the allegations made by a person (details supplied) in County Clare to her Department that they suffered from physical, non-sexual child abuse while at school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30551/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Under the Child and Family Act, 2013, the Child and Family Agency has a primary responsibility to promote the safety and well-being of children. An Garda Síochána also has statutory responsibilities for the safety and welfare of children. Full details of all allegations made by the subject of this PQ were sent on 25th February 2014 to the Child and Family Agency in Ennis Co. Clare and to An Garda Síochána, Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Investigation Unit, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2.

Correspondence received from the subject of this PQ was also referred to the State Claims Agency (SCA). The SCA have advised that the person should seek and obtain independent legal advice in relation to any claim he decides to pursue arising from his experiences. I understand that the Agency has also advised him that in the absence of a proven prior complaint in relation to the alleged abuser, it is their view that I, as Minister for Education and Skills, have no liability in respect of his claim.

Child Abuse

Questions (1202)

Michael McNamara

Question:

1202. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views that the State has a liability, pursuant to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the O'Keeffe v. Ireland for abuse, whether sexual or non-sexual, suffered by school children in Irish schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30552/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

In its response to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment, the Government agreed in December 2014 that out of court settlements be offered in those extant cases of school child sexual abuse being brought against the State where the cases come within the terms of the ECtHR judgment and satisfy the Statute of Limitations. Subsequently, in July of this year, the Government approved proposals to offer ex-gratia payments up to a maximum of €84,000 to those who initiated legal proceedings in cases of school child sexual abuse against the State but who subsequently discontinued their claims against the State where, similarly, the circumstances of the claims come within the terms of the ECtHR judgment and where the claims were not statute barred prior to the proceedings being discontinued. To be eligible for the above settlement or payment arrangements cases must involve sexual abuse of a school child by a primary or second level school employee in respect of whom there was a prior complaint of sexual abuse to a school authority (including an authority of a school in which the teacher had previously taught), prior to the issue of the Department of Education guidelines to primary and post-primary schools in 1991 and 1992 respectively. This rationale has been adopted as it is the basis of the ECtHR judgment.

Question No. 1203 withdrawn.