Written Answers Nos. 528 - 549
528. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the additional spending provided in a calendar year to primary schools with delivering equality of opportunity in schools status, including a breakdown of how this money has been spent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43963/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
The expenditure provided by my Department to the DEIS programme at Primary level in 2014 was approximately €70m. The allocated funding for 2015 is also approximately €70m.
DEIS Expenditure 2014
|
Description |
Expenditure 2014 |
|
DEIS Teaching Posts - Primary Level |
33.1 |
|
HSCL Coordinators |
13.7 |
|
Support Teacher Posts |
2.6 |
|
DEIS Book Grant Primary Level |
1 |
|
DEIS Grant - Primary Level |
10.8 |
|
DEIS Literacy & Numeracy Initiatives * |
4.4 |
|
Other Continued Professional Development * |
4.2 |
|
Educational Research Centre * |
0.059 |
|
Total |
69.859 |
* Expenditure covers Primary and Post Primary Level
529. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills why the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund funded training courses are not recognised by SOLAS and if she will reconsider this policy. [43964/15]
View answerI am not aware of any specific issues relating to the matter raised. If the Deputy would like to write to me with more detail I will revert to her as soon as possible.
530. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding is available to assist schools to pay for the delivery of programmes on positive mental health and emotional health, given the extent of such issues among adolescents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43983/15]
View answerMy Department is strongly supportive of the promotion of positive mental health awareness in both primary and post-primary schools and provides support and resources in this area. The Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with a broad range of problems, behavioural emotional and social.
The process spans the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care and the provision of professional development for teachers. It also involves other supports such as educational psychological services and guidance and counselling services, and the interface with other agencies, both nationally and locally.
Schools are assisted by Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention (2012), which was developed to implement Action 2.1 of Reach Out: the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention 2005-2014 (HSE, 2005).
The Guidelines are for all members of the school community, boards of management and in-school management teams who play a central leadership role in mental health promotion. They are also useful for parents' associations, student councils, health and other personnel who are seeking an understanding of how to work in and with schools.
It is also important that this message is conveyed to pupils at an early age. To this end, Wellbeing Guidelines for Primary Schools have been recently produced by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. The guidelines are informed by consultation with key Education and Health partners and by the findings of current research. They provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and well-being in an integrated school-wide way and they also provide evidence-based advice on how to support young people who may be at risk of suicidal behaviour.
The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in primary schools, including through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model and the HSE, Health Promoting Schools Process. Information is also provided on how to access support from the SPHE Support Service and other external agencies and support services.
The new Framework for Junior Cycle (2015) also places a clear emphasis on overall student health and well-being. This Framework is underpinned by eight principles, one of which is "Well-being". It also has eight key skills which are to be embedded in every new Junior Cycle subject and short course including the key skills of "Managing Myself" and "Staying Well". In addition, the 24 'Statements of Learning' that a student should experience during their Junior Cycle programme involve the student taking action to safeguard and promote their own well-being and that of others.
One of the innovative features of the Junior Cycle Framework is the introduction of short courses that schools can choose to implement. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has developed a new short course in SPHE, which may be delivered for certification purposes and will involve an increase in the time allocation for SPHE at Junior Cycle up to 100 hours over the three year cycle. The new short course is now available to implement in post-primary schools, should they wish to do so, as part of their Junior Cycle programme. It includes strands such as "Minding Myself and Others" and "My Mental Health", and deals with issues such as mental health and mental ill-health, dealing with tough times, loss and bereavement.
My Department is also working with the Department of Health to promote participation by primary and post-primary schools in the 'Health Promoting Schools' initiative, which is supported by the Department of Health. This European-wide programme aims to strengthen schools' capacity to be a healthy setting for learning and working by focusing at whole-school level on all the conditions that affect health and well-being.
531. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review a decision by Student Universal Support Ireland to refuse an application for a grant from a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44019/15]
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 complements 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.
532. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills why a person (details supplied) in County Dublin is losing an entitlement to a special needs assistant; if she will re-instate this entitlement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44029/15]
View answerI 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.
In considering applications for SNA support from post primary schools the NCSE will take into account the importance of the requirement to allocate necessary care supports with the right of a child to acquire personal independence skills.
The deployment of SNAs within schools, once allocated, 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 has 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 the current school year on its website.
Details of the manner in which a school or parent may appeal the level of SNA or resource teaching allocation which has been made to support a child in school, to the NCSE, is set out at www.ncse.ie.
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.
As this question relates to an allocation for an individual child, I will arrange to have the matter referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
534. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the decision not to grant approval for funding for temporary classroom accommodation to a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; if this decision will be reversed, given that enrolment at this school has doubled in recent years, that the school was approved funding for permanent classroom accommodation and that temporary accommodation will be required during construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44059/15]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy was approved devolved funding earlier this year to build two mainstream classrooms, to meet its 2015/16 accommodation needs.
The school subsequently contacted my Department to request provision of interim temporary accommodation until the devolved permanent accommodation project is complete. The school's application for temporary accommodation was examined and the Department is satisfied that the level of school accommodation is adequate to cater for the teaching requirements of the school until the devolved permanent extension is complete, particularly in the context of the short term temporary nature of the arrangements in place.
535. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the situation of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; if she is aware of such difficulties facing teaching graduates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44066/15]
View answerThe Teaching Council is the professional body for teaching in Ireland. It was established on a statutory basis under the Teaching Council Act, 2001 in March 2006. One of its functions is to establish and maintain the Register of Teachers. Conditional Registration may be granted when an applicant for registration has not fulfilled all of the Teaching Council's registration requirements. If Conditional Registration is granted, the Council informs the teacher of the conditions imposed, the measures required to meet them, and the timeframe within which they must be met.
If a registered teacher is unable to complete the requirements of a registration condition within the specified period, he or she may apply to the Council for an extension. This application must be made in the year in which the specified period is due to expire. The teacher must outline the difficulties and/or extenuating circumstances preventing the completion of the required measures in the time specified. Each application for an extension is evaluated by the Council on its merits.
The teacher, to whom the Deputy refers, may apply for an extension by completing the Extension Request Form which is available on the Teaching Council website at the following link - http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/Publications/Registration/Documents/Application-EXT-01.pdf
536. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an application by a teacher (details supplied) for retirement pension and lump sum can be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44068/15]
View answerThe person referred to by the Deputy has made an application in November 2015 for retirement with pension on grounds of ill-health.
A decision to award or refuse a pension on such grounds must be grounded on a detailed assessment of the medical evidence in the case. To this end, the opinion/recommendation of an appropriately qualified medical adviser retained by my Department as part of the Occupational Health Strategy for school staff must be obtained.
I understand that the person concerned has been seen by the Occupational Health Service provider and their opinion/recommendation in the case is awaited.
Once the recommendation is received from the Occupational Health Service provider, the case will be completed as promptly as possible and a decision will be conveyed to the applicant.
537. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who has applied for school bus transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44069/15]
View answerThe child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme, has been requested to establish a service for this child and it is expected that the service will commence this week.
The family should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office at 066-7164750 if they have any further queries.
538. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the circumstances of teachers being probated and if these teachers can carry their probationary period over two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44071/15]
View answerUnder the Teaching Council Act the Teaching Council has statutory authority to establish procedures and criteria for probation of teachers including periods of probation. Currently, the Council allows three years for the completion of probation for registration purposes.
I have referred this query to the Teaching Council for direct reply to the Deputy.
539. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills why the term unit is used to describe special needs classes; if this term is seen by many families as suggesting that their children should be contained or kept separate from other children; if she will change this term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44075/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism, should be included, where possible and appropriate, in mainstream school 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.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has recently submitted their Policy Advice on Educational Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
In developing this policy advice, the NCSE has consulted widely with parents, professionals and other stakeholders and interested parties while also conducting research. The NCSE has advised that during this consultation process stakeholders raised concerns in relation to the use of the term "unit" in relation to ASD classes.
The policy advice is currently under consideration in my Department. My officials will consider and report to me on any recommendations in the report which relate to the issue raised by the Deputy.
In the interim I will continue to keep this issue under review.
540. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for a special needs assistant by a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44168/15]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating 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, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
Circular 0030/2014 sets out the policy of allocating SNA support for a newly enrolling Junior Infant who has clear and obvious need for such support e.g. a child who has a significant additional care need arising from an intellectual, sensory or physical disability.
For those children where it is not yet clear whether difficulties will manifest in a classroom environment, the Circular states that, in general, it is expected that all primary school pupils having their first school experience will have been enrolled and will have commenced attending school before any application for SNA support will be made. Particularly in relation to possible anticipated behavioural difficulties, it is more appropriate to wait until the child begins school in order to see how they have been able to engage in the classroom.
In considering applications for SNA support from post primary schools the NCSE will take into account the importance of the requirement to allocate necessary care supports with the right of a child to acquire personal independence skills.
The deployment of SNAs within schools, once allocated, 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 has 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 the current school year on its website.
Details of the manner in which a school or parent may appeal the level of SNA or resource teaching allocation which has been made to support a child in school, to the NCSE, is set out at www.ncse.ie.
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.
As this question relates to an allocation for an individual child, I will arrange to have the matter referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
541. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills why a school (details supplied) in County Mayo does not have delivering equality of opportunity status, despite assurances to the contrary being given when two local schools, one with this status and one without it, were amalgamated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44220/15]
View answerThe school in question was established on 1st September 2011 following the amalgamation of a DEIS post-primary school and Non DEIS post-primary school. In line with all such amalgamations, the new school continues to receive the current level of supports in respect of the number of eligible pupils from the former DEIS school until that pupil cohort have left the school. In the case of a post primary school, these supports continue to be supplied for 6 years following the amalgamation.
I am not aware of any assurances in relation to DEIS status of the newly amalgamated school given to the two local schools by my Department.
As you are aware the review of the DEIS Programme is currently underway in my Department. This process involves a number of strands and is being undertaken over the course of the current school year. It 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.
543. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be assessed and considered for possible learning supports. [44234/15]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximise positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual student for intensive intervention or assessment.
This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more students indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
I would advise that if there are concerns in relation to the educational development of the student referred to in Deputy's question these should be raised, in the first instance, with the Principal of the school he is attending, with a view to Principal discussing the situation with the assigned NEPS psychologist.
544. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of staff who reached a financial settlement and then retired or terminated their employment and the number who paid arrears relative to their retrospective contracts or to contracts of indefinite duration from 2010 to date; if sick pay is paid to permanent part-time cleaning staff and the status of negotiations between managment and SIPTU and IMPACT relative to this issue; if management has appointed permanent health and safety officers with the necessary qualifications and if management provides adequate training in health and safety to all staff in the Cork Institute of Technology, including its Bishopstown campus and the Rubicon Centre, the Crawford Art Gallery and the National Maritime College of Ireland. [44238/15]
View answerBased on information supplied to the Department by Cork Institute of Technology, the position in respect of the matters raised in the Deputy's question is as set out below.
Four employees of the Institute have received redundancy or severance payments since 2010.
Arrears payments are not an uncommon feature of payroll systems, and the Institute is no different to others in this regard. It would therefore place an unreasonable administrative burden on the Institute to ask it to account for every payroll arrears payment over a period of years. However, in that context my Department has been assured that no employees have been subjected to undue delay of payroll arrears.
The Institute has recently been engaged in discussions with trade union representatives regarding the issue of sick pay for cleaning staff who are permanent part-time employees, and those discussions have concluded with agreement reached on a mutually satisfactory basis.
The Institute has a health and safety officer who is appropriately qualified, and appropriate and relevant health and safety training is provided as needed by the Institute to all staff on an ongoing basis.
545. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the cramped and inadequate facilities at a school (details supplied) in Cork city; if she will expand the facilities on the current site or move the school to new accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44250/15]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is aware of the current situation at the school in question. My Department recently approved funding for the provision of additional accommodation and for roof works to be carried out for the school.
My Department is liaising with the school, in question, in relation to its long term accommodation requirements.
546. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total cost to her Department, and those bodies under its aegis, for the procurement of legal services in the State from 2011 to 2015 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44571/15]
View answerThe total legal costs incurred by my Department for legal services procured by it during the years in question are as follows:
2011 - €21,039.83
2012 - €1,414.50
2013 - €25,009.14
2014 - €35,819.05
2015 - €36,975.50 (Up to end November 2015).
547. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of Leader funds for Louth Leader Partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43831/15]
View answerUnder the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007 - 2013, €7.23 million has been expended to date by Louth Leader Partnership. The EU rules and regulations governing the programme allow for expenditure to end 2015. In this regard, Local Action Group contracts expire on 31 December 2015 and accordingly all projects must be completed, claimed and paid to the promoter by this date. All project promoters have been advised by Local Action Groups of this date.
My Department recently notified Local Action Groups, including Louth Leader Partnership, that it will provide transitional administration funding from January to March 2016 to allow for the orderly closure of the current programme. It is expected that the 2014 - 2020 LEADER local development strategy selection process will be completed in the majority of areas by March 2016 and that the new Programme will be operational thereafter.
548. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason for the delay in approving an application by Mayo County Council for funding for a group water scheme (details supplied); if it will be expedited, given an approaching deadline at the end of 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43901/15]
View answer549. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason for the delay in approving an application by Mayo County Council for funding for a group water scheme (details supplied); if it will be expedited, given an approaching deadline at the end of 2015. [43902/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together.
As outlined in my reply to Question No. 11 of 5 November 2015, my Department is continuing to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the future funding of group water schemes, including those in CLÁR funded areas. I hope to announce details of future funding arrangements for such schemes very shortly.
