Written Answers Nos. 202 -212
202. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current position regarding the provision of the second level accommodation for Maynooth post-primary school at the education campus on the Moyglare Road in Maynooth in County Kildare; when the proposed new accommodation is likely to be ready for occupation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38745/15]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers is devolved to the Kildare and Wicklow ETB for delivery. I understand that tenders for the project were recently received and a tender report is now being prepared. I expect the project to go on site early next year with a contract duration of some 18 months.
203. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applicants awaiting transfer in her Department to locations other than their present location; the number of applications, by location; the rules that apply for such transfers; if an applicant has a defined position on the list for transfer; the grounds that apply to applicants being moved up or down on the list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38754/15]
View answerThe Department does not hold records of staff who apply to transfer out to other Departments. We do hold records of staff from other Departments who wish to transfer to us. In this regard, applications for transfers to our locations outside Dublin (i.e. Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar) are facilitated through the Central Applications Facility (CAF) which is managed by the Public Appointments Service. Likewise our staff can apply to transfer to another Department/Location via the CAF or to the receiving Department directly for non-CAF locations. The centrally agreed rules applying to the operation of the CAF are available at: http://decentralisation.gov.ie/Documents/docs/TheHRDocument.pdf. Paragraph 21 therein sets out the ranking of preferences.
204. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the replacement school for an area (details supplied) in County Longford; the reason for the delay; and when she expects to be in a position to approve capital grants. [38827/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the major building project for the school in question is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. All statutory approvals including planning permission, fire and disability access certificates have been secured. The Design Team have also confirmed that tender documents are complete. Due to competing demands on my 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. However, school building projects, including the project in question, which have not been included in the current five year programme, will continue to be progressed to the final stages of architectural planning and are available to be considered in the context of the new 6 Year Construction Programme that I intend to announce in the coming weeks.
205. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has received correspondence from an organisation representing bus and coach operators (details supplied) in which concerns have been expressed regarding the current procurement process employed by Bus Éireann for contracts relating to the school transport scheme; if she is considering the establishment of an oversight and appeals body to oversee the tendering process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38851/15]
View answerBus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement and this includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme, which Bus Éireann operates on behalf of my Department. In relation to the current procurement arrangements for the operation of the school bus services raised in the submission made to Oireachtas members by an organisation representing bus and coach operators Bus Éireann has advised as follows: The Bus Eireann tender processes for school transport services are conducted in a transparent manner which is in accordance with applicable law, including public procurement requirements, and facilitates equality of treatment. School transport contractors who are selected for re-tendering are notified that the contracts are being tendered in line with Government policy where expenditure of public funds is concerned. They are subsequently provided with the full suite of tender documents clearly outlining the process, the procedure, and the selection and award criteria for contract award. The tendering process facilitates openness, transparency and allows freedom of access for all interested parties. All of the contractors procured are required to satisfy the statutory obligations that pertain to each licensed transport operator in the State. This includes an obligation to keep and provide evidence that all statutory vehicle, driver and company certificates and licences are kept current and in order. Nominated drivers are obliged to satisfy medical examination, must be licensed to drive the size of vehicle used, and are subject to vetting procedures arranged by Bus Éireann and conducted by the Garda Central Vetting Unit. Contractors who are successful in the competition for existing work that is opened to tender are awarded a five-year contract which provides security for the duration of the contract to the contractor, provided of course that obligations continue to be satisfied, as well as stability in terms of familiarity with transport arrangements for the families, schools, and children concerned. It is a matter for each tenderer to decide what price they wish to quote for the work concerned taking into consideration their operating costs over the course of the contract period, and in common with every citizen of the State a tenderer is entitled to seek redress through the Courts in the event that they wish to appeal a procurement decision.
It is not my intention to establish an oversight/appeals body to oversee the tendering process.
206. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has raised the issue of the delay in issuing 2015 student grant approvals with Student Universal Support Ireland; if she plans impressing upon it the need for grant approvals to be issued in good time, as students are struggling financially; the number of students still awaiting final approval of their grants; the length of time it is taking to assess applications once all supporting documentation, as requested, has been submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38867/15]
View answerThe performance of SUSI is assessed on an on-going basis in accordance with the terms of the Management Framework Agreement concluded between the Department and the CDETB in respect of SUSI a unit of CDETB. I am informed by SUSI that it has received almost 107,000 student grant applications to date for the 2015/16 academic year. Of these SUSI has awarded student grant funding to 63,000 students to date. Continuous improvements made by SUSI for the 2015/16 academic year has seen a 19% increase, from 52,000 awards at the same time last year. SUSI paid students in September this year, the first time that maintenance grant payments have been made before October and 57,800 students have been paid to date. The remaining students who have already been awarded grants and are still to be paid will receive their grants as soon as their colleges confirm that they are registered and attending, and when they have submitted their bank details through their online SUSI accounts. In addition to the published monthly payment dates, payments are being made by SUSI on a weekly basis until Christmas to ensure that as many students as possible are paid as soon as such confirmation is received. The length of time it is taking SUSI to assess applications once all supporting documentation requested has been submitted, can vary based on the complexity of applications and the date of submission of the documentation. I understand that SUSI has introduced metrics to student's SUSI online application trackers. Students who submit all supporting documentation and are awaiting a final assessment can see where there are in the queue by accessing their online trackers. As stated above, SUSI has received almost 107,000 applications for the 2015/16 academic year to date (15,000 of which were received after the priority processing deadline) and expects to award approximately 82,000 grants for this academic year. Over 77,000 (72%) of these applications have been completed – 63,000 awarded and 14,000 refused/cancelled. This is significant progress on 2014/15 which in itself was an extremely successful year for SUSI. SUSI has met and exceeded the applications processed to completion and payments targets for end October as set in the Management Framework Agreement between CDETB and the Department.
207. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of extra school places provided since March 2011 in areas (details supplied) in Dublin 22 and in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38896/15]
View answerA total of 3,128 additional permanent school places has been provided under the Large Scale Projects Programme in the period 2011 to date at the following schools:
Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada;
Esker Educate Together;
St Andrews National School;
Griffeen Valley Educate Together;
Clonburris Educate Together;
St. Mary's National School, Woodview;
Clonburris Post-Primary School.
Furthermore, 224 additional permanent school places were provided in the period 2011 to date under the Additional Accommodation Scheme at 4 primary schools. Total additional permanent school places delivered is therefore just over 3,350.
The total capital investment associated with the school place provision amounts to €38.9m.
208. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the second level schools; and the number of qualifying students each school can accommodate in special autistic spectrum disorder classes, by school, in Cork city and County Cork, in tabular form; if she is satisfied that this is sufficient to meet the demand for such places; her plans to expand the number of such places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38897/15]
View answerThe policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism should be included, where possible and appropriate, in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available.
Parents can choose to enrol children with autism in an early intervention class from the age of three and where such a placement is not available home tuition may be approved. Children with autism over the age of four may also be eligible for home tuition if a school placement is not available for them.
The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.
SENOs engage with schools annually in order to plan for, and to open, new special classes each year, in order to ensure there are sufficient special class placements available at primary and post primary school level to meet demand in a given area. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents are encouraged to liaise with the local SENO to discuss placement options for their child.
The NCSE will continue to monitor and review the requirement for special class places in particular areas and has capacity to establish such new special classes, where necessary, subject to the willingness of schools to open classes.
The NCSE has advised that there are currently 34 autism classes at post primary level in cork City and County. Each special class for autism at post-primary level has a 6:1.5 pupil teacher ratio.
I will arrange for the NCSE to forward a list of post-primary autism classes to the Deputy in relation to the County referred to.
209. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to include a school (details supplied) in her five-year capital investment programme; if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38922/15]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has made an application for major capital funding.
In September, the Government's €27 billion capital programme provided for a significant capital funding investment in the education system over the next six years with some €3.8 billion in direct funding to be invested in education projects. The six-year plan will prioritise new building projects as well as major extensions in areas where significant demographic need has been established which will provide for significant additional capacity to meet demographic growth. It also prioritises projects that have a major deficit of mainstream accommodation capacity in respect of current enrolments, require major refurbishment and replacement of poor accommodation and which will also provide additional accommodation to meet increases in enrolments.
School building projects, including the project in question, which have not been included in the current Five Year programme, will be progressed within my Department's architectural planning process and are available to be considered in the context of the new 6 Year Construction Plan that I intend to announce in the coming weeks.
210. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a student will be assessed as financially independent from the student's parents with an affidavit from a solicitor swearing that the student is in fact financially independent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38923/15]
View answerThe decision on eligibility for new student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).
The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student should qualify for a grant or what supporting documentation is required. This is a matter for SUSI to determine.
In general terms, when considering whether a student meets the conditions to be assessed independently of his or her parents, grant awarding authorities are obliged to satisfy themselves beyond doubt that an acceptable degree of proof of independent living in the relevant period has been submitted by the grant applicant.
In exceptional circumstances, where it is not possible to produce such proofs of residence for demonstrable reasons, the awarding body may, at its discretion, agree to accept other documentary evidence that provides an acceptable degree of proof of independent living. For example, while an affidavit, if accompanied by other supporting documentation, may be considered as evidence of independent living, an affidavit in isolation is not considered acceptable as sole proof of residency. Individual circumstances should be discussed by an applicant with the grant awarding authority.
211. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will arrange for a substantive reply to correspondence dated 26 May 2015 which was acknowledged by her Department on 10 August 2015 (details supplied). [38925/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that matters raised in the correspondence to which the Deputy has referred is currently being investigated by my Department. As part of this investigation a meeting has been arranged between my Department's officials and school representatives which will take place in the coming days.
When the investigation has concluded the correspondent will be notified of the outcome.
212. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the huge concerns expressed by parents whose children use the school transport system and parents who are trying to access the system about the transparency of the operation of the bus routes and the poor attitude of Bus Éireann to queries raised; if she has considered the submission made to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas by the Federation of Transport Operators and, if so, her views on same; the cost of the school transport system for the past five years; if she is satisfied with the service offered by Bus Éireann and if she considers the State is getting value for money; and if customers of the service and those parents who have contacted Bus Éireann have been asked at any time for their views on what is being offered. [38927/15]
View answerBus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills, is obliged to provide services in line with the terms of the scheme in an impartial, uniform and equitable fashion nationally.
The purpose of the Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote i.e. 3.2 km or more from their nearest primary school or 4.8 km or more from their nearest post primary education centre, having regard to ethos and language. Each school year, services, routes, pick-up points, vehicle size etc. are designed around the eligible children presenting for school transport.
The Company strives to accommodate as many children as possible, always within the guidelines of the schemes, and to provide a good standard of service that is consistent nationally. To assist families with queries on aspects of the scheme, a series of frequently asked questions is available on the Bus Éireann and my Department's websites.
In advance of any given school year, a diverse rang e of specific queries are raised by Deputies and parents, including this year. There is no discretion in the application of these guidelines nationally which can sometimes be taken as presenting a negative attitude to requests received. I have asked Bus Éireann to review the experience this year with a view to putting any appropriate further measures in place to assist with improving communication with families availing of the service.
In relation to the current procurement arrangements for the operation of the school bus services raised in the submission made to Oireachtas members by the Federation of Transport Operators Bus Éireann has advised as follows:
The Bus Eireann tender processes for school transport services are conducted in a transparent manner which is in accordance with applicable law, including public procurement requirements, and facilitates equality of treatment. School transport contractors who are selected for re-tendering are notified that the contracts are being tendered in line with Government policy where expenditure of public funds is concerned. They are subsequently provided with the full suite of tender documents clearly outlining the process, the procedure, and the selection and award criteria for contract award. The tendering process facilitates openness, transparency and allows freedom of access for all interested parties.
All of the contractors procured are required to satisfy the statutory obligations that pertain to each licensed transport operator in the State. This includes an obligation to keep and provide evidence that all statutory vehicle, driver and company certificates and licences are kept current and in order. Nominated drivers are obliged to satisfy medical examination, must be licensed to drive the size of vehicle used, and are subject to vetting procedures arranged by Bus Éireann and conducted by the Garda Central Vetting Unit.
Contractors who are successful in the competition for existing work that is opened to tender are awarded a five-year contract which provides security for the duration of the contract to the contractor, provided of course that obligations continue to be satisfied, as well as stability in terms of familiarity with transport arrangements for the families, schools, and children concerned.
It is a matter for each tenderer to decide what price they wish to quote for the work concerned taking into consideration their operating costs over the course of the contract period, and in common with every citizen of the State a tenderer is entitled to seek redress through the Courts in the event that they wish to appeal a procurement decision. The procurement of school transport services through competitive tendering procedures is aimed at maximising value for money for the exchequer in the delivery of school transport services. Some 90% of current school transport routes have been procured through competitive tendering. In the four consecutive years between 2010 and 2013, the cost to the Department for the element of the School Transport Schemes administered by Bus Éireann was reduced/maintained each year, while over the same period more than 1,000 new school transport services and some 2,600 service enhancements were approved by the Department and introduced by Bus Éireann.
The value of savings achieved and other cost efficiency measures served to offset the otherwise significant additional cost that would have been incurred to meet this level of new demand.
The cost of the element of the School Transport Schemes administered by Bus Éireann to the Department in 2014 remained less than it was in 2010, as the following table indicates, and this will continue to be the case in 2015.
Customer research was undertaken earlier this year by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of the Company in connection with how their new online school transport portal and service had improved over 2014/15 and to identify further scope for improvements. The helpful attitude of Bus Éireann staff was noted in this research. Four focus groups were established in different parts of Ireland from a cross section of school transport scheme customers. The findings of this research were positive, indicating that the new system allows more parental control of the process, provides reassurance that information has been sent/received, and provides a more convenient method to apply, to obtain an eligibility assessment, and to pay/submit medical card details.
Details of the scheme are available at www.buseireann.ie and at www.education.ie.
Cost of the School Transport Scheme 2010-2014 - PQ
|
Year |
Total net chargeable by BE to DES |
Parental Charges Collected |
Total combined net amount chargeable including parental charges |
|
- |
€000m |
€000m |
€000m |
|
2010 |
154,026 |
11,651 |
165,677 |
|
2011 |
151,804 |
11,486 |
163,290 |
|
2012 |
149,477 |
12,570 |
162,047 |
|
2013 |
149,825 |
12,772 |
162,597 |
|
2014 |
150,467 |
13,057 |
163,524 |
