Written Answers Nos. 510-530
510. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of complaints her Department receives each year from parents of children attending primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41644/15]
View answerUnder the Education Act, 1998, legally, all schools are managed by the school Board of Management, on behalf of the school patrons or trustees or Education and Training Board. It is the management authority that employs the school's teachers and other staff members. The school principal manages the school on a day-to-day basis.
As my Department has no role in the employment of staff in schools or schools' day-to-day management, a complaint about the child's school and its staff is proper to the school itself.
Accordingly, whereas my Department provides funding and policy direction for schools, my Department does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of action in regard to individual complaint cases. In dealing with complaints, the Department's role is to provide advice to parents and students on the operation of schools' complaints procedures and to clarify for parents and pupils how grievances and complaints against schools can be progressed.
Complaints from parents are often received by phone, and across all sections of my Department. These are attended to contemporaneously in detail by telephone and are not logged. It is therefore not possible to provide data in any accurate format as to how many complaints from parents of children attending primary school have been received in the Department.
Additionally, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints relating to the administrative actions of a school recognised by the Department of Education and Skills, provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the administrative actions of a school has, or may have, adversely affected the child.
The Deputy is also aware that it is my intention to amend Section 28 of the Education Act 1998 to require every school to have a Parent and Student Charter according to principles set down in legislation that will set a national standard. Changing how schools engage with, listen and respond to parent concerns will be an important part of a Charter. A core objective of the Charter will be to shift away from reacting to problems only after they give rise to grievances. Instead the emphasis will be on improving the day-to-day experience students and their parents can expect from schools so that grievances do not arise at all or are resolved quickly and informally, and as a result having to resort to a formal grievance process should be much reduced.
I plan to have this change introduced during the passage of the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2015.
511. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of voluntary contributions collected by the authorities in primary schools each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41647/15]
View answerVoluntary contributions by parents are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition.
A school may seek payment to cover the cost of photocopied or other such learning materials where the amount sought by the school is consistent with the costs involved and the level of materials provided. It is also permissible for a school to seek payments in respect of extra-curricular activities provided such activities are not obligatory and individual pupils can choose whether or not to participate. No charge may be made, however, in respect of instruction in any subject of the school curriculum or for recreation or other activities where all pupils are expected to take part.
The manner in which such voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management. However, their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character. My Department does not require schools to report to it on the amounts involved and I have no plans to require such reporting.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, which was published in April of this year, prohibits the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions as part of the school admission process or for continued enrolment in the school. Exceptions are provided in the case of fees charged by schools known as fee charging schools, fees charged by boarding schools for the boarding element and fees charged by schools for post leaving certificate courses insofar as those fees relate to the cost of providing such courses.
I believe that schools need to be accountable to parents and we need greater levels of communication, engagement and transparency in how schools serve their communities. Better information for parents, including information in relation to the collection and use of voluntary contributions, is an issue that I will be looking at in the context of my Department's work on developing plans for a Parents' and Students' Charter.
512. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a ceiling on the amount of the €2.49 million Lufthansa Technik European Commission funding that can be spent on supports for the 200 people not in education, employment or training. [41676/15]
View answer514. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will formally request from the European globalisation adjustment fund, EGF, managing authority responsible for the Lufthansa Technik EGF programme the total amount of European Union funds spent as of 1 November 2015; and if she will provide this figure. [41678/15]
View answer515. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether the €2.49 million European Commission contribution to the Lufthansa Technik European globalisation adjustment fund programme will be spent by the September 2016 deadline; and the measures she has put in place over and above those already in place for previous programmes to ensure the 40% return rate of European funding across previous EGF programmes is not replicated with the Lufthansa Technik programme and that all of the money allocated is spent. [41679/15]
View answer516. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the 200 people not in education, employment or training, NEET, in the Lufthansa Technik European globalisation adjustment fund, EGF, programme are named persons in the application, or a target to be reached from the overall NEET population in the area of the Lufthansa programme; and if the latter is the case, the criteria by which young persons may be deemed eligible for access to EGF support. [41680/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 512 and 514 to 516, inclusive, together.
The application for co-funded support under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in the case of redundancies at Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI) targets up to 250 workers and up to 200 young persons under the age of 25 not in employment, education or training (NEET persons).
The EGF programme will run until 19 September 2016 and has an overall estimated programme value of €4.15m, of which the 60% EU contribution amounts to €2.49m. The EGF application includes a financial plan indicating estimated expenditure by individual programme measure for a cumulative target population of 450 persons. Budgets are estimated by specific measure rather than by particular beneficiary cohort. As previously advised, all public beneficiary bodies are funding the cost of this EGF programme's measures from national budgets and will subsequently submit expenditure declarations at programme end. The EGF Managing Authority in my Department has not approved any interim claims in respect of this programme.
However, I understand that the take-up of the available support measures is less than anticipated with the recently published 2nd Implementation Report indicating take-up rates of 77% and 38% of the targeted former workers and NEETs respectively. The improved economic climate resulting in a re-employment rate of some 60% at end August may be a factor which mitigates against a higher programme participation rate. Lower than estimated take-up rates will result in lower final total expenditure.
The 200 targeted NEET persons were not required to be named in the EGF application. Two separate listings of verified NEET persons meeting the criteria under Regulation (EU) 1309/2013 of being under the age of 25 years on the date of submission of the EGF application and not being in employment, education or training, have been supplied to date by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to my Department. Persons aged under 25 from the Dublin South and Kildare regions, being areas in reasonable proximity to the former LTAI plant, who were in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance and not working part-time or on any activation scheme were included in these listings. These persons were duly contacted by the SOLAS EGF Co-ordination units with regard to participation in the EGF programme.
The local EGF Coordination Unit office established by SOLAS and located in Tallaght is coordinating EGF programme supports. All potential beneficiaries have been contacted by the Unit on a number of occasions and my Department is continuing to liaise with the EGF Coordination Unit and other partners to maximise engagement with the programme. Final uptake of an EGF support measure is dependent ultimately on the individual choice of each eligible beneficiary and may be influenced by a range of factors including reintegration into part-time or full-time employment, or a focus on job searching.
513. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding the project web access international European globalisation adjustment fund application seeks from the European Commission; the matching Government component if the bid is successful; and when a decision is expected from the European Commission. [41677/15]
View answerI assume that the Deputy is referring to the application submitted for co-funded support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in respect of workers affected by redundancies at PWA International, Rathcoole, Co Dublin. This application was submitted on 19th June 2015 and is in respect of 108 redundant workers and an equal number of young persons under the age of 25 not in employment, education or training (NEET) persons. The estimated total value of the package is €737,156.
The European Commission announced its proposal to co-fund this application on 6th November, on the basis of a 60% EU funding contribution of €442,294. The remaining 40% of the estimated costs or €294,862 will be provided by national funding. The proposal is now before the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers for approval and a decision is expected in December.
517. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a contractor will be appointed to construct the replacement building for the community school in Clifden, Connemara, County Galway; if the tenders have been examined; if a preferred contractor has been selected; when construction will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41688/15]
View answerThe Tender Process for this new school building project is at an advanced stage and a preferred bidder has been identified. The Department is currently awaiting receipt of the Supplementary Tender Report from the Design Team. Subject to no issues arising it is envisaged that the successful contractor will be appointed and construction will commence shortly thereafter.
518. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide all teachers with an in-service day on the revised Stay Safe child protection programme, similar to the one day in-service training being provided to support the implementation of the new language curriculum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41698/15]
View answerThe Stay Safe Programme is currently being revised with a view to being ready in time for implementation in schools from September 2016.
My Department recently asked the Child Abuse Prevention Programme (CAPP) and the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) to prepare a Continuing Professional Development framework to support teachers in implementing the revised programme.
Officials in my Department will work with both CAPP and PDST to ensure schools receive adequate support in implementing the revised programme.
519. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application from a school (details supplied) in County Clare for funding for additional accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41699/15]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has received an appeal from the school to which the Deputy refers for capital funding towards a building project.
My Department have been in recent contact with the school seeking additional information in respect of the school's proposal. This information, when available, should enable the application to be further assessed and a decision to be conveyed to the school authorities as soon as this process has been completed.
520. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a Student Universal Support Ireland grant application by a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41704/15]
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. Staff in 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 within the required timeframe.
521. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is satisfied with the outcome of a Student Universal Support Ireland grant application (details supplied), whereby a student lost out on a grant worth €1,500 due to earning €25 in September 2015 in advance of returning to college, given that if the student had earned this €25 in August 2015 it would not have affected qualification for the grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41735/15]
View answerI understand that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, an appeal was considered by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board on 22nd September 2015 and the Board's decision issued directly to the student. The student was advised of his options in the decision letter. The options are that he may appeal to the High Court on a point of law under Section 21(6) of the Student Support Act 2011. The Ombudsman can examine a complaint from the student if he feels he has been unfairly treated in his dealings with SUSI or the Appeals Board.
522. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a site has been identified for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and when this project will be built. [41768/15]
View answerI can confirm that in line with the Memorandum of Understanding, my Department is working closely with Fingal County Council in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the school referred to by the Deputy.
A potential site option for the school referred to by the Deputy has been identified and my Department is working with officials from Fingal County Council to progress the matter. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to provide further details at this time.
As the Deputy will be aware, I recently announced a new programme of capital investment in schools for the period 2016 to 2021. The project for a new building for this school was included in that announcement as one of the projects expected to commence construction in 2018.
523. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the confirmation from her Department that the proposed three-school campus at Buncrana in County Donegal, incorporating new schools for schools (details supplied) in County Donegal, is not scheduled to proceed to construction until between 2019 and 2021; if she is aware the boards of management and parents' committees of these schools are dismayed that their reasonable agreement to pursue a joint three-school campus many years ago has met with delay after delay; and if she is aware of the urgency of this matter considering that the buildings housing all three schools are very much unfit for purpose. [41788/15]
View answerIn the case of the schools referred to by the Deputy I can advise that my Department is working closely with the relevant County Council in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the schools in question and we continue to liaise with them in advancing this process.
The positioning of school projects on the new programme in terms of year to commence construction is informed by the current stage of progress of each project in each of the constituent years in the new programme. All projects will continue to be progressed with a view to proceeding to tender and construction stages at the earliest possible opportunity. My Department will be in communication with all those schools on the programme in relation to the next steps to be taken, at the appropriate time, as the projects progress through the various stages of the architectural planning process.
524. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will publish the Lufthansa Technik Airmotive, Andersen Ireland and PWA International Limited European globalisation adjustment fund applications and make them available to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and on the EGF website. [41800/15]
View answerCopies of the approved Andersen Ireland and Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland EGF applications are being uploaded to the dedicated website www.egf.ie and a copy of the PWA International EGF application, which is currently awaiting approval by the European Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, will be published following its approval.
525. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will urgently examine and expedite a grant review by Student Universal Support Ireland for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41819/15]
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. Staff in 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 within the required timeframe.
526. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider increasing the housing assistance payment for recipients in north Kildare to reflect the level of rent in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41612/15]
View answerThe implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. There are currently more than 5,100 households in receipt of HAP and the scheme has been rolled out to all categories of household in 18 local authority areas.
The maximum rent limits for different household classes that apply in each local authority where HAP has been commenced are set out in regulations and are generally based on the Rent Supplement limits as set out by the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In prescribing these limits, household size and prevailing rents in the relevant areas are taken into consideration. My Department works closely with the Department of Social Protection and monitors data which it gathers, along with PRTB data, and data gathered through HAP pilot authorities, in relation to the rent limits applying.
In recognition of the challenging Dublin region rental market, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and I have signed the Housing Assistance Payment (Amendment)(No. 4) Regulations 2015, which provide for the introduction of HAP in Kildare County Council, from 2 November 2015, with maximum rent limits equivalent to current Rent Supplement rates applicable in South Dublin. In addition, these regulations provide for an additional 20% flexibility above the maximum rent limits that apply for the purposes of HAP in the administrative area of Kildare County Council.
I am determined to give local authorities the resources and flexibility to make the HAP scheme an effective and practical tool for meeting housing need in their area, and I am satisfied, based on careful analysis, that the current arrangements do that both in the northern part of Kildare County Council’s administrative area and in the southern part of the count, where the rental market is less challenging.
I will continue to keep HAP rent limits under review.
527. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of a request for funding to construct a new community library in Edgeworthstown in County Longford on a site obtained by the town's development association. [41713/15]
View answer544. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the provision of a new community library (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41545/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 544 together.
A draft Libraries Capital Investment Programme is being developed by my Department for investment in library infrastructure over the period 2016-2021. The proposed library at Edgeworthstown has been identified by Longford County Council as a priority investment and, accordingly, will be considered in that context.
528. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied with the situation whereby grant aid is not available to replace lead pipes in residential property, given the risk, according to the Health Service Executive, that lead poses to public health and the expense involved in replacing piping, if he will provide details of the proposed scheme for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41168/15]
View answerThe Water Services Act 2007 provides that the owner of a premises is responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the internal water distribution system to ensure that water intended for human consumption meets required quality standards. Responsibility for replacing lead pipes or fittings within the property boundaries, including within the house itself, therefore rests with the homeowner.
In a joint position paper on lead published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2013, it is recommended that all lead pipes and plumbing in public and in private ownership should be replaced over time. The full document is available to download from the HSE’s website at: http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/hl/water/drinkingwater/lead/HSE_EPA_JointPositionPaperLeadinDrinkingWater.pdf.
On 9 June 2015, I announced a Government approved National Strategy to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. The Strategy which is available on my Department’s website at the following weblink: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Water/FileDownLoad,41733,en.pdf, was prepared by my Department and the Department of Health in consultation with Irish Water, the HSE and the EPA, in order to map the scale of the problem and identify measures to mitigate any risks to human health posed by lead in drinking water. The appendix to the strategy also provided a copy of the information being issued to customers by Irish Water.
As part of the Strategy, I will be establishing a new grant-aid scheme to assist low income households to replace lead pipes in their homes. It is envisaged that the scheme will be administered by the local authorities and that income thresholds and other eligibility criteria will apply. The terms and conditions of the new scheme, including the eligibility criteria, are currently being finalised and will be publicised shortly.
529. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government how landlords are expected to find similarly-priced lettings locally to reflect the market average, particularly where significant changes to internal accommodation are concerned and so are not necessarily reflected in lettings of a similar size or in a similar location. [41217/15]
View answerSection 19 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 provides that the rent of a dwelling may not be greater than the amount of market rent for that tenancy at that time. Market rent is defined in section 24 of the Act as the amount of rent which a willing tenant would give and a willing landlord would take for the dwelling, having regard to the other terms of the tenancy and the letting values of dwellings of a similar size, type, and character to the dwelling and situated in a comparable area to that in which it is situated.
Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, to be introduced in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2012, provide that when notifying the tenant and PRTB of an alteration in the rent, a landlord must specify the amount of rent sought for 3 dwellings:
- of a similar size, type and character to the dwelling that is the subject of the tenancy; and
- situated in a comparable area to that in which the dwelling the subject of the tenancy concerned is situated.
In this regard, the amount of rent sought may be determined by advertisements in, e.g., estate agents, letting agents, publications such as newspapers or on property- related websites. The new provisions do not require the landlord to determine the average market rent.
530. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the estimates from his Department, the Private Residential Tenancies Board, the Revenue Commissioners, and the Department of Social Protection on the number of landlords unregistered with the board and the percentage of landlords this represents overall. [41223/15]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.
The Act provides that landlords in the sector must apply to register the tenancy of a dwelling with the PRTB within one month of the commencement of the tenancy. The PRTB actively pursues landlords for non-registration. Failure to register tenancies can result in prosecution with fines of up to €4,000 and/or six months imprisonment.
There are no comprehensive figures on the size of the sector but a report by DKM economic consultants commissioned by the PRTB and published last year reported an estimated 85% compliance rate in relation to the registration of tenancies. New information systems were introduced in early 2011 to facilitate registration enforcement and to help identify unregistered landlords. The PRTB receives information from a number of sources including the Department of Social Protection, local authorities and members of the public for this purpose.
Figures for the number of landlords (170,613) and the number of tenancies (323,062) registered have both increased in 2015 to date over the 2014 levels, suggesting that the compliance rate may have improved.
In 2014 the PRTB continued an active enforcement campaign against unregistered landlords. A total of 29,293 enforcement notices/solicitor warning letters issued to landlords and 21 District Court Summons were served on landlords who failed to register their tenancies with the PRTB.
Landlords of unregistered tenancies are precluded from referring a dispute to the PRTB. Non-registration does not affect tenant rights, and tenants have access to the dispute resolution service irrespective of whether the tenancy is registered or not.
