Written Answers Nos. 160-167
160. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the expected delivery date for providing a school building for a new school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34769/15]
View answerMy Department is currently finalising the tender documents for the procurement of a Design Team for this project. Upon completion of these documents the Design Team appointment process will commence.
Due to competing demands on the 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 referred to by the Deputy, which have been initiated but not included in the current five year construction programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages of architectural planning in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in the future.
161. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way she can reconcile her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1272 of 22 September 2015, that residents at Linden House were not entitled to redress under the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund as it was not an educational facility, with her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 150 of 30 September 2015 that her Department funded three teachers in the school. [34781/15]
View answerThe question of including Linden Convalescent Home was considered in 2005 as under the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act there was provision for additional institutions to be placed on the schedule provided they satisfy section 4 of the Act. Section 4 states: "The Minister may by order provide for the insertion in the Schedule of any industrial school, reformatory school orphanage, children's home, special school which was established for the purpose of providing education services to children with a physical or intellectual disability or a hospital providing medical or psychiatric services to people with a physical or mental disability or mental illness in which children were placed and resident and in respect of which a public body had a regulatory or inspection function".
As Linden was a convalescent home (not a hospital) it was deemed not eligible under section 4 of the Act and was not included in the schedule.
162. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the up-to-date position on the provision of a new school (details supplied) in County Kildare; if all the impeding matters have being addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34790/15]
View answerThe school building project referred to by the Deputy is on the current 5 year construction programme announced in 2012. It is listed on the programme to proceed to tender and construction in 2015/16.
The project is at an early stage of Architectural Planning. Following the Pre Stage 1 meeting in February 2015, the project was authorised to progress to Stage 2A, which is the developed sketch design stage. The Stage 2A meeting was held in June 2015 and the Design Team was requested to complete and submit the Stage 2A report. This report was received in my Department on the 25th September and is currently under review. Issues relating to services to and from the site remain under discussion between the design team and the local authority. Upon successful completion of stage 2A and subject to no issues arising, this project will then be authorised to proceed to Stage 2B - Detailed Design Stage, which includes applications for Planning Permission, Fire Safety Certification, Disability Access Certification and the preparation of tender documents.
163. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding large class sizes in primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34816/15]
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.
164. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the proposed extension for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34868/15]
View answerThe building project referred to by the Deputy is included in the Five Year Construction Programme to proceed to Tender and Construction. Earlier this year, the Department met with officials from the ETB regarding progression of the project. Following this meeting, further information was requested from the ETB and its Design Team, which is currently under review by my Department. Upon successful completion of Stage 2(a) the project will progress to complete Stage 2(b), Detailed Design, which includes the application for Statutory approvals and the preparation of Tender Documents for Contractors. Following completion of stage 2(b) the project will then be progressed to tender and construction.
165. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason that concessions do not apply on a service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34878/15]
View answerChildren are eligible for Post Primary School Transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from, and are attending, their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
In general, transport services are not established in areas where suitable public scheduled bus services already exist. In such cases children who are eligible for school transport are facilitated with travel permits for these services.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may avail of transport on a concessionary basis only subject to a number of terms and conditions including that there are spare seats available on an existing school bus service and no additional cost is incurred by the State.
To facilitate children on a concessionary basis on scheduled services would involve additional cost and therefore it is not a feature of my Department's School Transport Schemes. However, reduced child and student fares and 10 journey tickets can be availed of on public scheduled services instead.
166. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Springboard places, by year, since its launch; the average take-up rate of the courses; the number of specific courses available and availed of, in County Galway. [34883/15]
View answerSpringboard, now referred to as Springboard+ to include the ICT skills conversion programme, was launched in 2011. It is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of higher education courses to enable jobseekers to upskill or reskill in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) manages Springboard+ on behalf of my Department.
The following tables, provided by the HEA, outline the total number of approved Springboard+ courses and the number of specific courses available and availed of in Galway since 2011.
Springboard+ Galway PQ 5/10/2015
Springboard Places Approved by Year and Enrolment Rate
National Total
|
Initiative |
Places Funded |
Participants |
Enrolment Rate |
|
Springboard 2011 |
5,883 |
4,911 |
83% |
|
Springboard 2012 |
6,074 |
5,610 |
92% |
|
Springboard 2013 |
6,403 |
5,534 |
86% |
|
Springboard 2014 |
6,104 |
5,515 |
90% |
|
Springboard 2015 |
9,109 |
TBC |
Number of Springboard Courses approved in Galway
|
Provider |
Total Courses |
Courses 2011 |
Courses 2012 |
Courses 2013 |
Courses 2014 |
Courses 2015 |
|
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology |
55 |
7 |
26 |
6 |
3 |
13 |
|
National University of Ireland, Galway |
36 |
6 |
14 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
|
Total |
91 |
13 |
40 |
11 |
6 |
21 |
Number of Springboard Places approved in Galway
|
Provider |
Total Places |
Places 2011 |
Places 2012 |
Places 2013 |
Places 2014 |
Places 2015 |
|
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology |
710 |
84 |
146 |
120 |
70 |
290 |
|
National University of Ireland, Galway |
548 |
140 |
172 |
75 |
60 |
101 |
|
Total |
1,258 |
224 |
318 |
195 |
130 |
391 |
Number of Springboard Enrolments in Galway
|
Provider |
Total Participants Springboard 2011 - 2014 |
Participants Springboard 2011 |
Participants Springboard 2012 |
Participants Springboard 2013 |
Participants Springboard 2014 |
|
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology |
354 |
38 |
132 |
120 |
64 |
|
National University of Ireland, Galway |
350 |
127 |
103 |
65 |
55 |
|
Total |
704 |
165 |
235 |
185 |
119 |
167. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress regarding a new school (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34893/15]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application for capital funding for a new school.
The school's request must be considered in the context of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the Five Year Plan, to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential school accommodation to meet demographic demand. The area where the school is situated has not been identified as an area of demographic growth and I understand that this is a two teacher school with an enrolment of 27 pupils.
My Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing numbers. This will continue to be the main focus for investment by my Department in the coming years. My Department is not therefore in a position, at this point, to indicate when a new school can be provided for the school in question.
