Written Answers Nos. 1223 to 1242
1223. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the Irish League of Credit Unions' 2015 report on third level education; if she will take measures to improve the financial situation of students and their families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30933/15]
View answer1224. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the finding in the Irish League of Credit Unions' 2015 report on third level education that 94% of students are supported financially by parents which is an increase from 74% in 2014; her further views that this indicates that third level education is becoming inaccessible to those without parental financial support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30934/15]
View answer1225. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the finding in the Irish League of Credit Unions' 2015 report on third level education that 72% of parents financially supporting students are struggling to cover costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30935/15]
View answer1226. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the finding in the Irish League of Credit Unions' 2015 report on third level education that 41% of parents financially supporting students are finding the cost of accommodation particularly stressful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30936/15]
View answer1227. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the finding in the Irish League of Credit Unions' 2015 report on third level education that 62% of students live at home which is a rise from 44% in 2013; her further views that this indicates an impact of financial pressures on course choice; her views that it indicates that third level education is less accessible to those not living within a reasonable distance of a college; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30937/15]
View answer1228. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the finding in the Irish League of Credit Unions' 2015 report on third level education that on average students work 26 hours per week; her further views that is having an impact on the ability of students to dedicate requisite time for their studies and on their academic performance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30938/15]
View answer1229. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the Irish League of Credit Unions' 2015 report on third level education showing on average students work 26 hours per week, if she will increase the availability and the level of the grant so that students are financially capable of engaging in study without the requirement to work hours that would be disruptive to their studies. [30939/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1223 to 1229, inclusive, together. I welcome the publication of the Irish League of Credit Unions' survey on Third Level Education. In terms of student sentiment, I welcome the findings that almost 8 in 10 (79%) college students now expect to find work in Ireland, up from (53%) in 2013. The survey has also found that fewer students expect to have to emigrate to find work and almost two thirds of students "say they are looking forward to a bright future in Ireland after they finish 3rd level education". In terms of supports for students, the main support available is the student grant scheme. This scheme is primarily administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). The purpose of the student grant is to contribute towards the maintenance costs associated with going to college where parental means are likely to be insufficient to meet those costs. Income thresholds are necessary to ensure that this support is properly targeted towards those who are most in need of this assistance. In the 2014/15 academic year the student support scheme provided assistance to over 80,000 further and higher education students. My Department also provides additional supports to students in higher education via the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund is managed by the Access Office in the Higher Education Authority. The objective of the Fund is to assist students in a sensitive and compassionate manner who might otherwise, because of financial reasons, suffer severe hardship or be unable to continue their third-level studies. The number of students who benefited from the fund in 2014/15 is not yet available however, in 2013/14 over 15,000 students received assistance. In addition to the supports provided by my Department, the option of tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners on their website at www.revenue.ie.
1230. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding home tuition for a child (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30990/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement and provision is made for early educational intervention for children with autism. Eligibility for children seeking home tuition as an interim arrangement pending an educational placement is determined in consultation with the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO). An application for home tuition for the child to whom the Deputy refers was refused last year; she was not eligible for tuition as a placement was available for her in an early intervention class for children with autism. No application for home tuition for the 2015/2016 school year has been submitted to date.
1231. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on a proposal for a project (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30992/15]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the school concerned submitted a proposal through its Patron to relocate the school within the Portlaoise area to meet its long term accommodation needs. In that regard, my Department has undertaken a technical site visit to examine the proposed alternative location. In addition, my Department has met with the NCSE (National Council for Special Education) to discuss the future demand for special school places in the Portlaoise area and discussions are ongoing between my Department and the Patron of the school in question in respect of the school's long term requirements. In the meantime, my Department has approved additional temporary accommodation for the school in question at their current location in order to assist in meeting its immediate accommodation needs for September 2015.
1232. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a permanent extension is likely to be approved for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare with particular reference to urgent replacement of the prefab structures thereat; when it is expected the works might commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31006/15]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy, through its Patron, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB), has made an application to my Department for capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation. The application is currently being considered and my officials are liaising with KWETB on the matter. A decision will be conveyed to the school as soon as the assessment process has been concluded.
1233. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which primary and second level educational needs in terms of new facilities, extra classrooms or other accommodation have been identified at Leixlip, Celbridge, Maynooth and Kilcock, County Kildare; the specific requirements to be addressed in each case; her plans to address the issues; the timeframe involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31007/15]
View answerOver €2.2 billion in funding is being invested by my Department under its Five-Year School Capital Investment Plan (2012 – 2016). Over €1.5 billion of this is being allocated for the funding of major school building projects. The balance is being used for the additional accommodation scheme, the prefab replacement initiative, the Emergency Works Scheme and the acquisition of sites. Full details of all projects both planned and ongoing, are published on the Department's website at http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/Building-Works/. Planning is already underway on the next Five-Year School Capital Investment Plan. Earlier this year, I announced that seven new primary schools will be established in the next two years to meet demographic needs in different areas of the country. Nine new post-primary schools will open over the same period. This includes a new 1,000-pupil post-primary school, Celbridge Community School, which opened in interim accommodation this September, 2015. In addition, a new 1,000-pupil post-primary school, Maynooth Community College, opened in 2014. Both of these projects are on the Five-Year Plan in addition to a replacement school building for the existing Maynooth Post-Primary School. My Department has recently completed a nationwide demographic exercise to determine where additional post-primary school accommodation might be needed from 2017 onwards. I will announce the details of any new schools arising out of this exercise in due course. A project for increased accommodation at a primary school in Kilcock is also included in the Five-Year Plan. The Deputy may also be aware that a recent major capital project has been completed at North Kildare Educate Together NS in Celbridge. Funding under my Department's five-year construction plan is focussed on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to accommodate increasing pupil numbers. This involves prioritising school building projects in areas where demographic demand is projected to exceed the level of accommodation available.
1234. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to introduce legislation governing service charges imposed by secondary schools on students and their families at the commencement of the school year; if she is aware of the massive divergence of service charges amongst non-fee paying schools within the same area; the efforts that are being made to unify them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31011/15]
View answerApart from the recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised schools are not permitted to charge mandatory fees or payments from existing pupils or from those seeking admission to the school. Recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme have teaching resources and other funding allocated to them on a different basis from those schools that charge fees. The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, which was published in April of this year, prohibits the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions as part of the school admission process or for continued enrolment in the school. Exceptions are provided in the case of fees charged by schools known as fee charging schools, fees charged by boarding schools for the boarding element and fees charged by schools for post leaving certificate courses insofar as those fees relate to the cost of providing such courses. Voluntary contributions by parents of pupils in such recognised schools are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition. The manner in which such voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management; however their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character. A school may seek payment to cover the cost of photocopied or other such learning materials where the amount sought by the school is consistent with the costs involved and the level of materials provided. It is also permissible for a school to seek payments in respect of extra-curricular activities provided such activities are not obligatory and individual pupils can choose whether or not to participate. No charge may be made, however, in respect of instruction in any subject of the school curriculum or for recreation or other activities where all pupils are expected to take part. I believe that schools need to be accountable to parents and we need greater levels of communication, engagement and transparency in how schools serve their communities. Better information for parents, including information in relation to the collection and use of voluntary contributions, is an issue that I will be looking at in the context of the Department's work on developing plans for a Parents' and Students' Charter.
1235. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports which will be put in place to allow a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22 to remain at their current school; if she will consider the provision of additional special needs assistant hours to ensure that the person can remain in the school of their parents' choice. [31021/15]
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 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 at www.ncse.ie. 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 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 its website.
1236. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education and Skills when an application for additional devolved grant funding by a school (details supplied) in County Clare will be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31033/15]
View answerI am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved grant-aid to the school in question for the provision of temporary accommodation and also yard improvements to accommodate special needs pupils.
1237. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide in tabular form the total number of prefabs that were rented in County Mayo in the years 2010 to 2014, that are no longer rented; the number of prefabs that have been replaced with permanent classrooms for the years 2010 to 2014 in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31043/15]
View answer1274. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide in tabular form the number of prefabs that were rented in County Galway in the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, that are no longer rented; the number of prefabs that have been replaced with permanent classrooms for the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31325/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1237 and 1274 together. The details of the number of prefab units that have been rented by schools in counties Mayo and Galway each year since 2010 are contained in the table below. 13 schools in Co Galway were invited to participate in my Department's prefab replacement initiatives 2012 and 2013. To date 8 schools have successfully completed their projects, 1 school has withdrawn and the remainder are expected on site shortly. The total amount of grant aid paid to date is in excess of €2m inclusive of ICT grants. 11 schools in Co Mayo were invited to participate in the rental prefab replacement initiatives. All 11 schools have successfully completed their projects and the total amount of grant aid paid is in excess of €1.8m inclusive of ICT grants.
Prefabricated unit rental by counties Mayo and Galway 2010 to 2015
|
County |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Galway |
147 |
125 |
110 |
93 |
101 |
100 |
|
Mayo |
58 |
55 |
44 |
24 |
23 |
23 |
1238. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the proposed new second level school in Kinnegad, County Westmeath. [31046/15]
View answerMy Department has recently completed a nationwide demographic exercise to determine where additional post-primary school accommodation might be needed from 2017 onwards. This included all areas of the country, including Kinnegad. I will announce the details of new schools to be provided arising from this exercise in due course. Where new schools are to be established, my Department runs an open patronage determination process to determine who will operate the schools. It is open to all patrons and prospective patrons to apply under this process.
1239. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a secondary school (details supplied) in Dublin 9 which has been closed for three years because of damage; if she will provide an update on same; the reason there has been such a delay in carrying out repairs; the current position; if a repair contract has been signed, the nature and duration of work schedule; if her Department is still considering the overall number of schools in the area or if such consideration is finalised; if there are talks ongoing regarding the make-up of the board of the school; the expected opening date of this school; if the board structure-patronage-ethos will change when the school re-opens; if the total cost of alternative accommodation to date can be provided along with an estimate of cost for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31049/15]
View answerI wish to clarify for the Deputy that while it was necessary for the school to vacate the main school building following weather related damage, the school has continued to operate in temporary accommodation pending the restoration of the building and the provision of an extension. In this regard, the proposed building project is at Design Team appointment stage. When appointed, the architectural planning process for the project will commence. It is not possible at this point to give a definitive completion date for the project. However, it is my Department's intention to progress the project as quickly as possible having regard to the normal technical and statutory requirements. The project, when completed, will cater for the school's existing enrolment and for future demographic growth. With regard to interim accommodation, my Department has provided total grant of €404,836 towards this accommodation which includes the costs associated with its installation. On the basis of the existing temporary accommodation, the estimated cost of interim accommodation for the coming year is €185,000. The current operational and management structures at the school will continue. I wish to advise the Deputy that the various procedures for the appointment of Boards of Management across the three sectors at post-primary level do not require patrons of post-primary schools to formally confirm each Board's appointment to my Department. With regard to the overall need in the area, my Department is currently completing a nationwide demographic exercise to determine where additional post-primary school accommodation might be needed from 2017 onwards. Should the need for increased capacity be identified in the area concerned, a decision on how this need will be met will be determined as part of this process at the appropriate time.
1240. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made on an application by Lanesborough Community College, County Longford for the provision of funding for additional classrooms and resources; and when the review to determine demographic needs will be finalised. [31052/15]
View answerI am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department recently approved grant-aid to the school in question for the provision of additional classrooms. This accommodation will facilitate the school in meeting its future accommodation needs.
1241. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the consideration she has given to extra second level accommodation at a location (details supplied) in County Kildare; if Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board has applied for additional second level accommodation; if this issue will be given priority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31056/15]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy, through its Patron, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, has made an application to my Department for capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation. The application is currently being considered and my officials are liaising with KWETB on the matter. A decision will be conveyed to the school as soon as the assessment process has been concluded.
1242. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for capital funding by a post-primary school (details supplied) in Cork city for a sports hall; when a further announcement on the school capital programme is expected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31058/15]
View answerI can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for the provision of a PE hall for the school in question. I wish to advise the Deputy that due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise available funding towards the provision of essential school classroom accommodation, it is not possible at this point to provide an indicative timeframe for the provision of funding for the sports facilities in question. In that regard however, significant funding was devolved to the school concerned in 2011 for the provision of four additional general classrooms to meet the schools immediate accommodation needs. If the school has any new or additional details in respect of their application, it is open to the school concerned to forward this to my Department for consideration. I also wish to advise the Deputy that I expect to be in a position to announce a successor construction programme later this year. As part of the preparatory process for the programme, a major detailed demographic analysis is currently underway in my Department to identify the particular areas across the country where additional new schools and extensions will be required to meet additional demographic demand.
