Written Answers Nos. 914-930
914. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for funding by a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37189/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not received an application from the school in question in relation to its accommodation needs.However, officials from my Department have again been in contact with the school on the matter. The school has been advised to submit the relevant application detailing their accommodation needs. Once the application has been received, the matter can be considered further.
915. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the delivering equality of opportunity in schools programme, and the review that was taking place; and if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo will be included in the programme. [37205/15]
View answerI would like to explain that an extensive identification process to select schools for inclusion in DEIS was conducted in 2005. In spite of a number of reminders issued by my Department, a completed survey form was not received at that time from the school in question and therefore it could not be assessed for participation in DEIS. Furthermore the school did not participate in a follow-up appeal process to address the concerns of schools that did not qualify for DEIS status.
You will be aware that the process for the review of the DEIS Programme is currently underway in my Department. This process involves a number of strands including:
- a consultation process with the Education Partners to inform the development of appropriate future interventions to tackle educational disadvantage;
- the establishment of an inter-Departmental Group to ensure a joined-up approach to future delivery of services in the DEIS Programme;
- the establishment of a Technical Group which is working to establish what eligibility criteria are now appropriate to re-identify the level of need in schools; and
- the establishment of a DEIS Advisory Group within my Department.
The review process is being undertaken over the course of the current school year and will consider all issues pertaining to educational disadvantage. I hope to be in a position to make an overall proposal for the delivery of future interventions to tackle educational disadvantage after that. While this process is underway, I do not intend to make any changes to the current programme, including the addition of any further schools.
916. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills why her Department does not allow a partial day's leave to be recorded for teachers who require time off from the classroom, and instead requires that they be recorded as absent for the full day; the cost of this rule; the number of days of unnecessary disruption it causes to students; her plans to change the system to allow for partial days' leave due to sickness or hospital appointments to be recorded as such; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37229/15]
View answerThe current sick leave scheme for teachers provides for sick leave to be granted to a teacher who is unable to perform his/her duties because of illness or injury. The terms of the sick leave scheme are contained in my Department's Circular 0053/2015 Sick Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools.
The circular was agreed under the auspices of the Teacher's Conciliation Council (TCC), a body established in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. The Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission.
The issue raised by the Deputy has been discussed at TCC with a view to reaching agreement. Once agreed at TCC my Department will amend the relevant circular.
917. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of extra personal vacation, EPV, days recorded for all primary schools in the 2014-2015 school year and in the 2013-2014 school year; if her Department has conducted an assessment of the level of disruption such days without substitute cover cause to the educational experience of students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37232/15]
View answerThe terms and conditions of teachers employed in Oireachtas funded teaching posts are negotiated through the Teachers Conciliation Council and are of general application to all teachers appointed to such posts. The Council is composed of teacher representatives, school management, the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission.
Any decision to approve Extra Personal Vacation (EPV) days for teachers is a matter for the Board of Management of the school concerned. In approving such leave Boards should take into account the education and welfare of the pupils concerned.
The number of EPV days recorded for the 2013/2014 school year was 56,876 and for the 2014/2015 school year was 62,142 which equates to 1.8 EPV days per teacher.
918. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she and her Department are taking to address a situation (details supplied) regarding a school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37303/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government gives a commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for our schools. In this context, the government established a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. The Forum advised on how the education system can provide a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions and none and also advised on the practicalities of transferring/divesting patronage for individual primary schools where it is appropriate and necessary. Arising from the work of the Forum, eight new primary schools have opened under the patronage divesting process and work is continuing to advance choices in other identified areas. I intend to meet with the Catholic bishops in order to re-invigorate the patronage divestment process.
New schools are established to meet demographic need. In the past ten years the total pupil enrolment in first and second level schools has risen by almost 100,000 pupils. Enrolment levels are still rising annually at both levels and are projected to rise by some 44,000 pupils in 2018/19 compared with current levels. This level of increase has meant that the available financial resources have to be prioritised towards ensuring that every child has access to a physical school place. It is simply not practical for every student to be provided with access to a place in a school operated by a patron of their choice. The new school establishment arrangements introduced in 2011 place a strong emphasis on parental choice. In any area identified as requiring a new school it is open to all patron/prospective patron bodies to make application for patronage under the patronage determination process. Since 2011, 42 new school have opened (24 primary and 18 post-primary). 39 of these schools have a multi-denominational ethos.
919. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated expenditure of her Department in 2015, in tabular form; the budget for expenditure agreed at the start of the year for 2015; the extra expenditure or savings in this budget during the year to date; when and under what process this expenditure and these savings were approved; and her Department's budget for expenditure in 2016. [37260/15]
View answerA full breakdown of my Department's 2015 expenditure allocation is contained in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2015 on pages 102-109.The full version is available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
My Department's Vote is coming under pressure in 2015 and may require a Supplementary Estimate. This is mainly as a result of additional retirements in the Education Sector over and above those provided for, additional Special Needs Assistants posts that were sanctioned in mid-year and other mostly demographic pressures.
Should a Supplementary Estimate be required, my Department with the agreement of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, will seek the approval of the Dáil for the additional monies required before it exceeds its original 2015 Allocation.
The breakdown of my Department's 2016 expenditure allocation is contained in the Budget 2016 documentation published on the Government's Budget 2016 website, at http://www.budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2016/2016.aspx. (Pages 52-52 of document titled 'Part IV - Estimates for Public Services 2016'). A further breakdown of this allocation will be available when the 2016 Revised Estimates for Public Services are published later this year.
920. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a reply will issue to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37311/15]
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 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
The children in question are not eligible for school transport as they are not attending their nearest school. Children who are not eligible for school transport may avail of school transport on a concessionary basis only subject to a number of conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service.
Bus Éireann has advised that in late August 2015 this family submitted an application for school transport for one child and payment for the second child; at this stage the service was operating to capacity and the family were advised accordingly.
The closing date for receipt of applications for school transport was 24th April 2015 and the closing date for receipt of payments was 31st July 2015.
I understand that the family has appealed this case to the School Transport Appeals Board.
921. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a student grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37314/15]
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.
922. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the allocation for her Department in 2016 which covers the Lansdowne Road agreement; and the demographic or other inflationary pressures. [37276/15]
View answerMy Department's 2016 gross current expenditure allocation of €8,162 million includes €43 million in respect of costs associated with implementation of the Lansdowne Road Agreement. In addition, there will be reduced Appropriations-in-Aid receipts from the Pension Related Deduction in 2016 of the order of €70 million, also in respect of the application of provisions of that agreement. My Department's gross allocation also includes approximately €58 million to cover the costs of additional teachers and capitation grants resulting from demographic increases.
A leaflet detailing the main features of Budget 2016 for the Education Sector is also attached.
923. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on supports available for low-income students attending fee-paying institutions such as Griffith College and the Dublin Business School; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37345/15]
View answerUnder my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme.Private colleges such as Griffith College and the Dublin Business School, operated on a for-profit basis are not listed as approved institutions for student grant purposes. However, tax relief on tuition fees may be available for students attending courses in private colleges. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie.
924. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will indicate, in respect of State boards under her Department's remit, the name of each appointee made from 7 March 2011 to date in 2015; the date of appointment; whether or not each appointee came through an advertised public application process; the number of vacancies which currently exist on State boards under her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37360/15]
View answerThe information requested is outlined in the attached tables.
Comprehensive information in regard to the composition of the boards of non-commercial State bodies under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills, which includes certain of the information sought by the Deputy, is available to be downloaded from my Department's website at http://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Agencies/Details-of-Membership-of-State-Boards/.
For the Deputy's information, in accordance with Government policy, my Department through the Public Appointments Service (PAS), advertises for board vacancies as they arise where I as Minister for Education and Skills have nominating rights. Applications are made through the dedicated website http://www.stateboards.ie and an assessment process is undertaken by PAS leading to the creation of a list of candidates deemed to be suitable for appointment to boards.
Appointments to Boards are not in all cases made by the relevant Minister, individual board members may be nominated for appointment by various organisations, as specified in the relevant Statute of the Body concerned.
Department of Education and Skills - Appointees to State Boards in the Period 7 March 2011 to October 27th 2015.
925. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm receipt of an application from a school (details supplied) in County Cork for grant aid under the emergency works scheme; if she will provide funding in respect of this application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37374/15]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to remove boundary walls and replace them with a fence.As the scope of works is outside the terms of this scheme, the application cannot be considered for funding. The school authority has been informed of this decision. It is, however, open to the school authority to apply for funding under a future Summer Works Scheme. In this regard, I recently announced that there will be a Summer Works Scheme in 2016 and 2017. I also announced that the minor works will be paid later this year. It will be open to the school to use its minor works grant for the works in question.
926. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs students who avail of examination aids such as laptops and memory sticks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37395/15]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
927. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools that have a ban on edible nuts in place; if any legal issue has arisen because of such a ban; if her Department provides advice to schools in relation to edible nut allergies; her plans to introduce a compulsory ban on edible nuts in all primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37404/15]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school.
It is a matter for each individual school to devise its own policies around the types of food that are permissible on the school premises and such policies should be driven by the needs and welfare of the pupils. In that regard, it is important that all schools request parents to ensure that the school is made aware of any medical condition suffered by any pupil attending.
Where the school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a medical condition suffered by one or more pupils, it may be possible for the school management authority, working in conjunction with parents, teachers and children to put preventative measures in place to lessen the possibility of any difficulties arising or to ensure that, if a pupil suffers from an illness requiring medication, appropriate treatment is available. This is a matter for each individual school having regard to the specific circumstances concerned. There is no requirement on schools to report to my Department on such arrangements.
The question of whether there should be a compulsory ban on nuts in all schools or in other situations where groups of children come together is primarily a public health matter and would therefore be a matter for the Department of Health.
928. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the basis upon which there was a request for an extension to a planned school (details supplied) in Dublin 7; if she is aware of the existing primary schools in the area; their numbers; and the impact this, if granted, could have on these schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37483/15]
View answerMy Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for additional school places will arise. The GIS uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland and the Department of Social Protection in addition to information from the Department's own databases. It also uses data from the local authorities. With all of this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. The requirement for additional accommodation in the school referred to by the Deputy arises on foot of the analysis of demographic data undertaken by my Department. That analysis identifies ongoing requirements for additional accommodation in the wider Dublin 7 area and the new school to open in Cabra-Phibsborough in 2016, together with the expansion of the existing school referred to by the Deputy, is intended to address those requirements.
929. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken in the United States of America to bring additional students from there to Ireland for academic studies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37491/15]
View answerThe USA is the single largest origin of international students in the Irish higher education system. In the past ten years, we have welcomed over 60,000 US students to our shores.
Irish universities and institutes of technology have forged active study abroad partnerships with US universities and colleges over the past 20 years and the strength of these partnerships is evidenced in our ranking as the 9th most popular destination for US study abroad students.
This year, the Irish Government has signed up to the US Government backed Generation Study Abroad (GSA) initiative – which aims to double the number of US students studying abroad by the end of the decade. My Department provided funding for GSA Tier 1 sponsorship which will ensure Ireland and our HEIs get maximum coverage in the USA with Ireland's offer and message reaching every HEI in the States.
The Government views the sponsorship as an investment in future global relationships that will assist in ensuring that Ireland's international profile and attractiveness is maintained by educating the next generation of US leaders, entrepreneurs and decision makers.
This year also, Ireland was a platinum sponsor of the 2015 annual conference of NAFSA (Association of International Educators) which took place in May in Boston. It is the largest global event within international education. More than 10,000 international educators attend this conference annually from over 100 countries to discover emerging trends in international education and student mobility.
930. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students availing of the home tuition grant in County Cork; the number of these who are at primary level and at post-primary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37413/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme which is administered by the Special Education Section of my Department is to provide a 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 awaiting a suitable educational placement and for early intervention for children with autism.
91 children are currently availing of home tuition in County Cork, 67 at primary level and 24 at post primary level, under this scheme.
The Home Tuition Scheme administered by the Schools Division of my Department provides for children who do not have a school place, and are without the offer of a school place in a recognised school, and for whom a school place is being actively sought in a recognised school, or on whose behalf an appeal has been lodged and where a determination is awaited in respect of an expulsion or refusal to enrol taken under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998.
Home tuition is also provided under this scheme to students who are enrolled in a recognised school at post-primary level studying at junior or senior cycle and whose education may be disrupted due to pregnancy.
Three post primary students from Co. Cork are availing of home tuition under this scheme for the current academic year.
