Written Answers Nos. 617-641
617. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the up-to-date position regarding the implementation of an European Union-wide ban on Israeli products from illegal settlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34508/15]
View answerAn EU-wide ban on products from Israeli settlements is not under consideration, and it is clear that there would at present be no support from member states for such a proposal.
The EU is preparing guidelines to prevent settlement products from being misleadingly labelled as coming from Israel, and I hope that these will issue in the near future. Settlement products also cannot benefit from the lower tariffs applicable to goods from other locations, or from certain other administrative arrangements.
618. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he will raise at the next European Union Foreign Affairs Council; the urgent need to provide for the supply of construction materials to Gaza to enable the rebuilding of homes, infrastructure and other necessary facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34509/15]
View answer619. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise, at the next European Union Foreign Affairs Council, the urgent need to ensure the aid promised by the international community at the pledging conference following the major loss of life, destruction of homes and other necessary facilities in Gaza in August 2014 is provided without further delay, given the humanitarian needs of the citizens of that area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34510/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 618 and 619 together.
Ireland is a longstanding supporter of the Palestinian people and we currently provide an average of €10 million per year in development and humanitarian assistance. During my visit to Gaza earlier this year, I saw first-hand the devastating humanitarian consequences of last year’s conflict, and the particularly difficult impact on children, which compounded already difficult living conditions. As an immediate response to the Gaza crisis, Ireland provided €500,000 to the Emergency Appeal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to help provide urgently needed food, shelter and medical aid to thousands of families many of whom had to flee their homes.
At the International Gaza Reconstruction Conference, which I attended last October, I pledged a further €2.5 million towards both urgent immediate needs as well as long term recovery efforts. €1 million of this has been provided to UNRWA’s Gaza Emergency Appeal. A further €500,000 will be provided to UN partners this year with the remaining €1 million of the pledge to be disbursed in 2016.
The World Bank is taking the lead on monitoring pledges made at the International Gaza Reconstruction Conference and their most recent report of 30 September 2015 indicates that thirty five per cent of the money pledged at the Conference has been disbursed. I am aware this rate of disbursement is less than expected and I certainly urge all countries to fulfil their pledges.
It should be recalled, of course, that many of the pledges made, like Ireland’s, were to be phased over a period of time. And also that many states made clear that their willingness to donate was linked to progress in discussions to ensure that this type of conflict did not happen again. Unfortunately, there has been very little progress in this regard.
Ireland will continue to press, at EU level and elsewhere, to maintain focus on the humanitarian needs in Gaza and for an end to the blockade.
620. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the involvement of the military of the Russian Federation in Syria. [34524/15]
View answer621. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1171 of 22 September 2015, which stated that foreign military action in Iraq had the support of the Iraqi Government, if he supports the military actions of Russia in Syria, given that Russia has the approval of the Bashar al-Assad Syrian Government. [34525/15]
View answer622. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1171 of 22 September 2015, if he supports the military intervention of other states in Syria or Iraq. [34526/15]
View answer623. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1171 of 22 September 2015, if he supports the military intervention of certain other states in Syria or Iraq and not that of others. [34527/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 620 to 623, inclusive, together.
Ireland fully supports the removal of the terrorist threat posed by the ISIS group, consistent with international law. Airstrikes have been conducted against ISIS in Iraq and Syria for a number of months. It is for individual States to determine in what way they might best contribute to the concerted international effort underway to tackle the threat posed by ISIS and other fundamentalist jihadists. In my reply of 22 September I stated that I understand that the states involved in military action against ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria are acting at the request of the Iraqi government in the exercise of its inherent right to individual or collective self-defence pending action by the Security Council to restore international peace and security as recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations and as notified by the US to the UN Secretary General on 23 September 2014.
I am aware of recent media reports of airstrikes by Russian forces against towns located north of the city of Homs on 30 September 2015. I am not in possession of information other than that already contained in reports which are publicly available. These latest events add further complexity to the already tragic situation of the Syrian people.
Ireland, together with its EU partners, made clear in the EU statement of 4 June 2014 that we do not accept the legitimacy of the 3 June Presidential elections held in Syria. These were held under a flawed electoral law which imposed identification requirements that deprived most Syrians living in areas under opposition control of the ability to cast their vote. The law also prevented exiled opposition candidates from standing against President Assad, and blocked access to alternative sources of campaign information.
These facts call into question the legitimacy of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime or its authority to invite military support from other States.
It is also worth recalling that Ireland has co-sponsored a resolution calling on the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court and has repeatedly expressed its support for the work of the UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry which has made clear that the Assad regime is responsible for the overwhelming majority of attacks against civilians in Syria.
624. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills the guidelines on the renewal of the safe pass card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34286/15]
View answerThe SOLAS Safe Pass Health and Safety Awareness Training Programme was developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders and continues to be updated to ensure workers are aware of the safety standards within the construction industry and are able to work on site without being a risk to themselves or others.
Upon successful completion of the SOLAS Safe Pass Safety Awareness Training Programme participants are registered in the SOLAS Safe Pass Scheme and issued with a registration card. The card lasts for four years from the date of the training course and it is a condition of renewal of the registration card that participants must update their safety awareness training every four years.
625. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address Student Universal Support Ireland’s application of rules preventing young persons estranged from their families from accessing its support; if she is aware of a particular case (details supplied); her views that this is an effective use of the courts system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33983/15]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of specific details in relation to the case to which he refers, it is not possible for me to comment any further.
Cases of genuine estrangement are relatively rare and almost always will involve exceptional circumstances unique to a particular family situation. In the 2014/15 academic year less than 200 cases of estrangement were identified out of circa 104,000 applications. In the majority of these cases sufficient documentary evidence was provided to prove estrangement.
SUSI accepts the following official documentation from applicants in support of their applications where the issue of estrangement arises:
- Confirmation from TUSLA that a person is currently in their care;
- Letters from social workers who have been dealing with the case, confirming estrangement;
- Court Orders relating to estrangement; and
- Information from the Gardaí in relation to estrangement, generally in the form of reports on specific incidents.
Applicants are advised that all evidence of estrangement is reviewed by SUSI management before a decision is made. In the circumstances where an applicant is unable to provide any of the above evidence, SUSI will work with the applicant to see what documentation is available to support his/her application.
There are no plans to change the current arrangements.
626. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding resource hours for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33990/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that all Post Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources for pupils with Learning Support needs and also with high incidence special educational needs, including Specific Learning Disability (SLD), of which dyslexia is one such Specific Learning Disability.
My Department's Circular 70/2014 has provided guidelines for post primary schools in relation to the utilisation of additional teaching resources which have been allocated to them for pupils with special educational needs.
It is a matter for individual schools to use their professional judgement to identify pupils who will receive this support and to use the resources available to the school to intervene at the appropriate level with such pupils.
Schools should 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 decided and managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs.
A parent who feels that their child requires additional learning support in school should raise this matter directly with their school Principal in the first instance, or with the Board of Management of the school.
627. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to introduce a postgraduate grant in budget 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33993/15]
View answerDue to economic circumstances, a number of difficult expenditure reduction measures were taken in recent budgets. A decision in Budget 2012 has meant that new students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards are not entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme, but may qualify in some circumstances for limited fee support.
Those who do meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. Alternatively, a postgraduate student may qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the cost of their fees. The income threshold for this payment is €31,500 for the 2015/16 academic year, increasing relative to the number of family dependents.
As the Deputy will be aware, all proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including changes to postgraduate student grants, will be considered in the context of the Budget 2016.
628. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a special needs assistant for a child (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33997/15]
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 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, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
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.
Once allocated, 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.
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 the NCSE 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 the NCSE website.
As this question relates to an allocation for an individual child, I will arrange to have the matter referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
629. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of resource persons, resource workers, and resource co-ordinators within Youthreach structures; if those persons must be registered with the Teaching Council; and if they are considered teachers by her Department. [33998/15]
View answerCo-ordinators and Resource Persons employed in the Youthreach programme operated by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are not employed as teachers and as such they are not required to register with the Teaching Council.
They have their own separate terms and conditions which are set out in Department circulars. While the Department does not specify particular qualifications for co-ordinators and resource workers, the ETB as the employer may set out their own requirements for the posts.
630. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if adequate funding will be provided to complete a project (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34010/15]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question were approved funding in August last to complete the project referred to by the Deputy.
The school has made no further application for funding in respect of this project and I understand the school is currently finishing the works involved.
631. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for grant aid for major capital works by a school (details supplied) in County Cork; the status of the application; when a decision is likely to be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34052/15]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has made an application to my Department for capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation.
The application is currently being considered and my Department will be in direct contact with the school authorities concerned as soon as the assessment process has been concluded.
632. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will allocate the minor works grants to national schools in this school year. [34062/15]
View answerThe 2015 capital allocation for the school sector funds the Large Scale Project Programme, the Additional Accommodation Programme, the Prefab Replacement Programme, site acquisitions, the Emergency Works Scheme, the Summer Works Scheme, furniture and equipment grants, the Design and Communications Graphics Grant and other smaller programmes.
Over the next number of weeks the likely end-year outturn on my Department's overall capital position will be assessed and against that background the issue or otherwise of the 2015/2016 Minor Works Grant will be determined.
633. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of departmental staff with access to the primary online database who have received Garda Síochána vetting for handling data relating to vulnerable children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34084/15]
View answerEnsuring the protection, health and welfare of children is a key concern for the Government, for parents, for agencies that work with children and for society generally and I can assure the Deputy that the Government is determined to do all that we can to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe. It is Department policy that access within the Department to POD data is limited to the POD team which is currently less than 15 people. The members of the team are required to sign a POD Data Protection Undertaking in which they undertake to only access individual POD records as required for the processing of POD. All Departmental staff with access to the Primary Online Database are Civil Servants. All Civil Servants are Garda vetted prior to being appointed in the Department through the Public Appointments Service.
634. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she has taken to support primary education; if she will continue to support and advance primary education through the allocation of additional resources, as part of budget 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34090/15]
View answerThe Government's approach to restoring the economy has helped Ireland to return to a position where we are seeing economic growth. It is a continuing improvement in our economic growth over a sustained period that will enable us to move to a point where we can look again at providing for additional teacher resources in schools which could bring about further improvement in PTR, class size and support for classroom teachers.
I am determined that education should be prioritised for investment as our economy recovers and I will be seeking to agree a set of priorities for such increased investment into the future. In the last Budget, I was able to secure the first increase in education spending in recent years. I am determined to continue pressing the case for increased investment in education in the forthcoming budget.
The challenge for all schools is to ensure that they utilise their allocated resources to best effect to maximise teaching and learning outcomes.
635. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will protect primary education in the October 2015 budget, particularly in regard to smaller class sizes, which is such a benefit to young children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34098/15]
View answerThe Government's approach to restoring the economy has helped Ireland to return to a position where we are seeing economic growth.
I have already indicated that I am determined that education should be prioritised for investment as our economy recovers and I will be seeking to agree a set of priorities for such increased investment into the future. In the last Budget, I was able to secure the first increase in education spending in recent years. I am very aware that we need to invest more in our youngest children, and in supporting parents to make the choices that are right for them. Our schools need more staffing, better funding, and functioning middle-management structures and I am determined that we will build on what we achieved last year.
The challenge for all schools is to ensure that they utilise their allocated resources to best effect to maximise teaching and learning outcomes.
636. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to expedite an application for an appeal against the refusal of a higher education grant to a person (details supplied) in County Cavan, given the significant reduction in the parent's income which is variable and non-reliable, but currently well within the income eligibility guidelines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34131/15]
View answerThe student to which the Deputy refers, recently appealed the decision of the awarding authority to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board (SGAB).
The appeal will be heard within the 60 day timeframe set out in the Student Support Act 2011. The decision of the SGAB will be communicated directly to the student in due course.
637. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 148 of 21 January 2014, if advice on the use of seclusion, isolation, or withdrawal rooms by the National Council for Special Education was ever received; and the detail of this advice. [34134/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's policy is that the well-being and safety of children should be at the centre of all policy and practices in schools.
The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their school and is required to prepare a code of behaviour in accordance with Section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
Responsibility for the management of behaviour in schools is therefore a matter for individual schools. Schools may seek advice from their local National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) psychologist, from their NCSE Special Educational Needs Organiser, or from the National Behavioural Support Services, as to how children with behavioural needs can best be supported in school.
Published guidelines which are available to schools include:
Supporting Students with Behavioural, Emotional, and Social difficulties, which is available on the Department's website www.education.ie; the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) guidelines for schools on Developing a Code of Behaviour and the National Educational Psychological Services document Behavioural Emotional and Social Difficulties - a Continuum of Support: Guidelines for Teachers.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has recently submitted their Policy Advice on Educational Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In developing this policy advice, the NCSE has consulted widely with parents, professionals and other stakeholders and interested parties while also conducting research in relation to this area. The policy advice is currently under consideration in my Department and I expect it will be published in the coming weeks.
638. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the numbers of supernumerary positions in her Department, and those agencies, organisations or bodies funded by her Department; the maximum period in each case that supernumerary positions have existed; the total cost in maintaining supernumerary positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34140/15]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded shortly.
639. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34159/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network.
A range of supports have been provided for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education.
We now have a higher level of Resource Teaching and SNA support than ever before.
I recently announced that an additional 610 Special Needs Assistant posts are being provided for this year. This will ensure that every child with an assessed need has access to SNA support, in keeping with the Government's commitment in this regard.
I also announced provision for an additional 480 Resource Teachers, to take into account increased demand and demographic growth and to ensure that children can continue to have access to additional supports in school.
In addition, all Primary and Post Primary schools have a permanent allocation of additional teaching supports to provide for children whose educational psychological assessment places them in the high incidence, or less complex, disability category.
The role of the resource and learning support teacher is to assist the mainstream class teacher to provide educational support for pupils with special educational and learning needs.
My Department completed a Value for Money (VFM) and Policy Analysis Review of the SNA scheme in 2011 which concluded that the SNA Scheme has been successful in supporting schools in meeting the needs of students with disabilities who also have significant care needs.
The review made a number of recommendations regarding the SNA scheme which have been reflected in my Department's comprehensive Circular, 30/2014, on the SNA scheme
This Circular notes that the purpose of the SNA scheme is to provide for the assessed care needs of individual children and that SNA support is provided specifically to assist schools to cater for the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an educational context, where the nature of these care needs has been outlined in professional reports as being so significant that a pupil will require adult assistance in order to be able to attend school and to participate in education.
As such, there are no plans to make SNAs generally available to all classes, which may not have pupils with assessed care needs. However, all schools are supported by general allocations of additional resource teachers or learning support teachers who have a role to support the mainstream class teachers.
In announcing the provision of an additional 610 SNA posts in July of this year I also announced that a review of the SNA scheme will be carried out to ensure that it is meeting its objectives and that best use is being made of the significant resources invested. Any considerations with regard to future of the scheme will be considered in the context of this review process.
640. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to extend eligibility for the special rate of Student Universal Support Ireland grant to those applicants whose family income is below the threshold but who are not currently in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment; her views that where a family income is below a certain level the special rate should be awarded irrespective of whether the income is earned or awarded through a social welfare payment; that families who are working hard to support themselves but who are on low incomes should not be precluded from being eligible for the special rate grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34248/15]
View answerThe Student Grant Scheme provides that in order to qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions:
1. The applicant must qualify for the standard rate of grant;
2. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703; and
3. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term payment prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme.
I have no plans to change the current eligibility criteria for the special rate of grant.
The Deputy may be aware that in addition to the 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. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended.
641. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a family (details supplied) in County Westmeath with four children has been granted seats on the bus to a local school for only two children and a letter issued stating the younger two children cannot be accommodated. [34292/15]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only which is subject to a number of conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service.
Bus Éireann has advised that the named children referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport and that there is no spare capacity on the existing service to accommodate the children on a concessionary basis.
