Written Answers Nos. 99-102
99. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the right of parents in the Dublin West and south Meath areas to have their children educated through the medium of the Irish language at secondary level. [35877/15]
View answer100. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills given that there are three Gaelscoileanna in the Dublin West and south Meath areas, and given the willingness of 454 students from these areas to enrol in a second level Gaelcholáiste from 2017, her views on the application of a school (details supplied) to be established as a second level school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35878/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together.
A submission in relation to the establishment of a second level Gaelcholáiste to serve the Dublin West and South Meath area has been received by my Department.
My Department's five-year construction plan is focused on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child and young person will have access to a physical school place.
My Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed. My Department is in the process of concluding a report on the outcome of an exercise to determine where additional post-primary school accommodation will be needed from 2017 onwards. The demographic exercise encompassed all areas of the country, including the Dublin West and South Meath areas.
I will announce the details of the new post-primary schools to be provided nationwide arising from this exercise shortly. Arrangements will also be made to provide additional post-primary accommodation in existing schools where the demographic demand warrants this.
Having established the requirement for a new post-primary school, my Department assesses the medium of instruction requirement.
My Department runs an open patronage determination process to decide who will operate the schools. It is open to all patrons and prospective patrons to apply under this process.
Details of the criteria for the establishment of new schools is available on my Department's website at http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Establishing-a-New-School
101. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in primary and post-primary schools, respectively, who have been diagnosed with dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35879/15]
View answerAll mainstream Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources under the General Allocation Model (GAM) to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, including Specific Learning Disability (SLD), of which dyslexia is one such SLD. All Post Primary schools have also been allocated additional teaching resources for pupils with high incidence special educational needs, including SLDs.
It is a matter for individual schools to use their professional judgment 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 are supported in this regard by the National Educational Psychological Services.
In addition, my Department provides funding for a number of special schools and special classes attached to mainstream primary schools which have been sanctioned to meet the needs of children with SLDs. There are 4 Special Schools and 12 Special Classes attached to mainstream Primary schools catering for pupils with SLD.
As the allocation of support for pupils with SLDs is managed locally by schools, my Department does not hold details of the number of students with dyslexia receiving support locally, as schools are not required to apply directly to my Department for learning support for SLDs such as dyslexia. However, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) report on Supporting Students Special Educational Needs in Schools sets out that 0.5% of the student population in Ireland is estimated to have an SLD.
102. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan has still not received a Student Universal Support Ireland grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35883/15]
View answerAs part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications.
This service compliments the established channels provided by SUSI which include online application tracking, a dedicated website, a telephone helpdesk, email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter. Enquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
