Written Answers Nos. 189-197
189. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had discussions with the authorities in the United States of America in the implementation of a visa waiver programme in respect of undocumented Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35169/15]
View answerAchieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US remains a priority for the Government in our contacts with the United States. Through our Embassy in Washington and our Consulates throughout the U.S., we continue to work closely on this agenda with high level Government contacts and with many other individuals and groups across Irish America and beyond. The aim of these contacts is to achieve relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US and to improve channels for legal migration between Ireland and America. We are aware of and have raised the matter of waivers for 3 and 10 year travel bans in relation to US visa applications for Irish undocumented who have overstayed their visa in the United States. At my request, the Secretary General of my Department wrote to the US Ambassador earlier this year to ask him to explore further the question of such waivers. I have also had the opportunity to directly discuss the matter with the US Ambassador. The Taoiseach also raised waivers, amongst other immigration reform issues, during his visit to Washington for St Patrick’s Day.
I must respect the confidentiality of diplomatic communications on behalf of foreign governments, but I can offer some information on the basis of these representations and responses.
The US Embassy has indicated that the waiver system is applied in strict accordance with US laws and regulations and is operated uniformly worldwide, including in Ireland. An Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, as this is known, is an application for legal entry to the United States made by an individual who is otherwise inadmissible on one or more grounds. Such a waiver can be applied for in the case of a 3 or 10 year ban having been imposed for overstaying a visa in the US.
The US Embassy has underlined that applications are assessed individually on a case-by-case basis, with final decisions on each a matter for the US authorities in Washington, and that accordingly an applicant would not be able to predict with any degree of certainty as to whether they would be successful or not.
The Government has been assiduous in seeking to advance all viable opportunities to achieve relief for our undocumented citizens in the United States. I am therefore disappointed that our representations to the US on this matter have not resulted in a more encouraging outcome but ultimately it is a matter for the US Government and US Embassy to interpret and implement their immigration laws.
The Government as a whole, including my Department in Dublin and our Embassy in Washington, will continue to actively follow up on all opportunities to improve the situation of the Irish undocumented, and to ensure channels for legal migration between Ireland and America, with the US Administration, with Congress, and with the US Embassy in Ireland.
Most recently, I met with the US administration, members of Congress and Irish community leaders when I visited New York and Washington last week. On foot of these meetings, a Bill is now in the process of being tabled by Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner on Capitol Hill. The Bill will be aimed at providing access to a specific number of E3 visas for Irish citizens.
I warmly welcome this positive step towards meeting the desire of many Irish people to live and work in the US for a time, but would also point out that there is work to be done in both houses of Congress before this Bill might become law. I am also aware that while this particular measure would, if enacted, help with our objective of securing improved legal migration channels, it would not address the concerns of undocumented citizens currently in the US. These remain a key priority and continue to be the subject of our ongoing contacts with the US authorities.
190. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if additional humanitarian assistance will be provided for South Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35170/15]
View answerSouth Sudan is experiencing one of the most severe large-scale humanitarian crises in the world today. Widespread violence from the bitter civil war which broke out in December 2013 has forced 2.2 million people to flee their homes. More than 1.6 million people have been displaced internally and 620,000 people have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, including more than 320,000 children who are living as refugees in Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya. Despite the recently signed peace agreement, the humanitarian crisis remains extremely worrying. Security conditions in South Sudan remain volatile with sporadic fighting being reported across the country. More than 4 million people are suffering from acute hunger and one in three children are severely malnourished.
Since December 2013, Ireland has provided €16.7 million to support UN agencies and international and national NGOs in their life-saving work in South Sudan and the region. We are committed to continuing Ireland’s support and, earlier this week, I approved an additional €2 million in humanitarian funding for the region.
€1 million of this funding will be provided to the International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent (ICRC) for their operations in South Sudan. The ICRC has a strong track record on delivering humanitarian assistance and is often best placed to provide assistance in conflict situations, as they can gain access where other organisations may not be able to operate.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will also receive €1 million of this additional funding. This will allow for a more focused response to address malnutrition, and provide health screening and shelter to South Sudanese refugees in the region.
I am confident that this additional funding will assist in alleviating the suffering of some in South Sudan, though I remain acutely aware that this is a humanitarian situation that we need to monitor closely and continue to support in the months and years ahead.
191. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the difficulties being experienced by families (details supplied) in County Offaly in accessing school transport; if she will liaise with Bus Éireann with a view to providing a bus to accommodate the children to allow them attend their local school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34979/15]
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. The closing date for receipt of payments for school transport was 31st July 2015; a number of families, with children who are eligible for school transport, made late payments and at that stage the bus was full. Children for whom late payments are received cannot be guaranteed a seat on a school transport service. However, on this occasion Bus Éireann was able to upgrade an existing service and all children who applied and provided payment details for school transport can now be accommodated.
192. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a city and guilds qualification obtained in another country is recognised within the Irish education system; if a person holding such a qualification requires further accreditation in order to teach here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34980/15]
View answerQuality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) operates the Irish National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC Ireland), which is a service offering information and advice on the academic recognition of foreign qualifications from various countries, including the UK, in Ireland. This service is accessible online at: http://www.naric.ie. With regard to the qualifications required for entry into the teaching profession in Ireland, I wish to inform the Deputy that the Teaching Council is the relevant competent authority with responsibility for setting and advising on these qualifications.
193. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a merger (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34987/15]
View answerThe Dublin consortium consisting of the Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown and Institute of Technology Tallaght, submitted a plan towards merger to the Higher Education Authority in 2014. This was assessed by an international expert panel appointed by the HEA and found to be on a clear trajectory to meet the very robust performance and quality criteria that have been set down for merging institutes who wish to apply for the new technological university status. This concluded stage 3 of the 4-stage process towards designation as technological universities for the Dublin consortium. The governing bodies involved reaffirmed their decision to merge and seek Technological University designation and have continued to work towards that goal. The Technological Universities Bill, which will provide for the merger of consortiums of institutes of technology, including the Dublin consortium, is at an advanced stage of drafting and I hope to be in a position to publish the Bill in the coming weeks. Once the Bill has been passed by the Oireachtas this would allow for a merger of the Dublin consortium to take place.
194. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of a situation in a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary, and the need to retain teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34989/15]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. There is no change to the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the 2015/16 school year. Based on an enrolment of 56 pupils on 30th September 2014, the school retains a mainstream staffing of Principal and 2 mainstream classroom teachers. In addition, the school retains the resource post and GAM/EAL post which it had in the 2014/15 school year. The staffing arrangements for all primary schools for the 2016/17 school year will be published early in 2016.
195. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if asylum seekers attending Youthreach centres will receive a weekly allowance in line with the asylum seekers who receive third level college grants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35006/15]
View answerThe announcement earlier this year that students in the asylum protection system will have access to student supports was made to ensure that those students who have completed the Leaving Certificate can continue their education, provided they meet certain criteria, including the completion of five academic years in the Irish school system, and acceptance on a Post Leaving Certificate course or an approved undergraduate course. The Youthreach programme provides education, training and work experience for early school leavers aged 15-20 and as such is not included within the terms of the student support scheme which aims to provide for progression to education beyond Leaving Certificate completion. While non-EU nationals of schoolgoing age are entitled to attend school in Ireland, they are generally not entitled to attend the Youthreach Programme.
196. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the up-to-date position of funding for a school (details supplied) in County Kerry which has recently received planning permission to build a new school building. [35010/15]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has completed the acquisition of a greenfield site for the school in question on the basis of outline planning permission for a school being granted. The next stage involves the commencement of the architectural planning process and the appointment of a design team to advance the project. The school authorities have been advised of this position.
197. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements she has made to meet with parents of girls who may be suffering from illnesses following the administering of the Gardasil human papilloma virus vaccination; the arrangements she has made to provide assistance with supporting their continuing education, where they have been unable to attend school because of their illnesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35057/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that provision for the administration of vaccines and any issues arising, is a matter for the Department of Health in the first instance. The Deputy may wish to contact my colleague, the Minster for Health directly in this regard. I can advise the Deputy however that all schools have a permanent allocation of Learning Support resources which they can use to provide additional teaching support to assist pupils who have learning support needs in schools, including pupils who have learning support needs arising from a medical condition. It is a matter for schools to allocate learning support resources in a manner to pupils taking into account their individual needs. Parents who have specific concerns about their child's educational progress in school should raise this matter directly with their child's class teacher or the Principal of the school. My Department also provides a compensatory educational service through the Home Tuition scheme for children who have had major disruption to their attendance at school due to their medical condition. Details of the Home Tuition scheme are available on my Department's website www.education.ie.
