Wednesday, 11 Nov 2015

Written Answers Nos. 146-151

Student Universal Support Ireland Administration

Questions (146)

Robert Troy

Question:

146. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure a Student Universal Support Ireland grant for a person (details supplied) is processed without further delay. [39744/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

As 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 [e-mail]. 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.

Teacher Recruitment

Questions (147)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

147. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views that schools should not be allowed to require applicants for teaching positions to only apply by way of hard copy applications, and that online applications should be accepted; her plans to put the system online due to the financial cost of hard copy applications being sent to schools by applicant teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39750/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Teachers are employed by the Boards of Management of recognised schools. It is therefore a matter for the Boards to choose the format applications for teaching positions must take. Where a Primary school chooses to accept electronic (e-mail) applications the procedures to be followed are set out in Section 2.3 of Appendix D of the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011.

Third Level Funding

Questions (148)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

148. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the level of funding that will be provided to higher education institutions via the programme for research in third-level institutions in 2015; and in 2016; her plans to approve a new funding cycle, Cycle 6, for the Programme for the years beyond 2015; and the amount this new cycle of funding will entail. [39768/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Since 2010 funding responsibility for the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) rests with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI). My officials have consulted with that Department and I have been advised of the following:

The 2015 budgetary allocation to the Programme was €32.014m. While not yet finalised, it is expected that the 2016 budgetary allocation to the PRTLI will be in the region of €10.4m. It is intended that this allocation for 2016 will be supplemented by way of a Supplementary Estimate (paid to DJEI). Subject to the finalisation of the Supplementary Estimate, it is expected that a sum in the region of €22 million will be provided to the HEA in late 2015. The combination of the 2016 budgetary allocation of €10.4m and the Supplementary Estimate means that there will be effectively no change in the payment profile by the end of 2016, compared to what would have been expected by all parties.

The forthcoming science and innovation strategy provides a basis to see through existing commitments under PRTLI Cycle 5 and, importantly, to plan for new investment in research infrastructure and equipment to underpin investment in human capital and ultimately to support economic development and wider societal goals.

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Questions (149)

Colm Keaveney

Question:

149. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway who despite being deemed eligible to apply for a grant for the support of survivors of institutional abuse by Caranua on 11 March 2014, and to whom Caranua confirmed in writing on 10 April 2014 that all documents had been received to process this grant; that despite this Caranua has made no attempt to finalise this payment, or contact this person, despite several telephone calls and letters from both the person and this Deputy's office regarding this matter; her views that it is unacceptable that former victims of institutional abuse should become victims of institutional neglect in this manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39770/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse. The processing of individual applications is a matter for Caranua itself and my officials have requested Caranua to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Questions (150)

James Bannon

Question:

150. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills why her Department recently reduced the number of special needs assistants in a school (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39777/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.

It is important to note that each school's allocation of SNA support can change from year to year and may be increased or decreased as students who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. New students with care needs may, or may not, enrol to replace students who have left, for example, or SNA allocations may be decreased where a child's care needs have diminished over time.

The deployment of SNAs within schools is then a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.

The NCSE has published details of SNA allocations for schools for September 2015 on its website www.ncse.ie.

The website indicates that the school in question had an allocation of 12 whole time equivalent (WTE) SNA posts in the 2014/15 school year and has retained the same allocation of SNA posts for the 2015/16 school year.

I understand that the NCSE recently visited the school on foot of an enquiry received from the school authorities in relation to its SNA allocation and, having considered all available information, has determined that the SNA allocation for the school for 2015/16 is a sufficient level of support to cater for the care needs of all qualifying children enrolled in the school.

I understand also that the SENO has met with parents of pupils attending the school to discuss the allocation process and has informed the school of the appeal process which applies in relation to SNA allocations.

All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, while parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

State Examinations

Questions (151)

Eoghan Murphy

Question:

151. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will expedite a review (details supplied) in Dublin 6. [39780/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The "Rules & Programme for Secondary Schools" Section 37 - Paragraph (g), sets out the combinations of subjects which are regarded as mutually exclusive, and therefore cannot be taken in combination for the Leaving Certificate examination:

1. Physics and Chemistry and either of the separate subjects Physics or Chemistry

2. Economics and Agricultural Economics

3. Classical Studies and Latin

4. Classical Studies and Ancient Greek