Written Answers Nos. 182-200
182. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the budget for drug prevention, treatment and rehabilitation projects in each of the past five years; the projected budget for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44625/15]
View answerThe Department of Health administers a Drugs Initiative, which primarily funds community based drugs initiatives supported by Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces. Details of the allocations to each of the Task Forces in each of the past five years are provided in the following table. Approximately 55% of the amount allocated relates to treatment and rehabilitation projects, 35% relates to prevention, education and drug awareness projects and the remainder is primarily targeted at supply reduction measures.
|
€m |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 DOH |
2014 HSE |
2015 DOH |
2015 HSE |
|
LDATFs |
20.65 |
20.24 |
19.48 |
5.13 |
13.82 |
4.43 |
14.52 |
|
RDATFs |
9.73 |
9.49 |
8.97 |
1.48 |
7.22 |
1.15 |
7.55 |
|
Total |
30.38 |
29.73 |
28.45 |
6.61 |
21.04 |
5.58 |
22.07 |
The data in respect of 2014 and 2015 respectively reflects the fact that the Department of Health transferred €21.04m in funding relating to treatment and rehabilitation projects to the Health Service Executive on 1 January 2014, with a further €1.02m transferring on 1 January 2015.
183. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive an appointment for surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44657/15]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
184. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if an M142 high mobility artillery rocket system, HIMARS, was delivered through Shannon Airport during August 2015. [44461/15]
View answerThe Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland.
Arrangements under which permission is granted for foreign military aircraft to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions, including the stipulation that the aircraft concerned must be unarmed and must carry no arms, ammunition or explosives. In line with these conditions, permission would not be granted for the landing of a foreign military aircraft transporting cargo of the type referred to by the Deputy.
If the Deputy has any information regarding the carriage of cargo of this type on a foreign military aircraft in contravention of these conditions I would ask her to provide it to my office.
185. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the ongoing birthday postcard campaign for a person (details supplied). [44475/15]
View answerI can confirm that I am aware of the initiative described and that postcards received by my Department will be forwarded to Ambassador Cole in Cairo for onward transmission to the individual concerned.
186. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of applications for re-instatement, following retirement on grounds of ill-health, with prior notice granted since 2004; the legislation, rules and procedures under which they were granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44559/15]
View answerNo such applications for reinstatement were granted in my Department.
187. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for temporary classroom accommodation by a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44484/15]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy was approved devolved funding earlier this year for the provision of 2 mainstream classrooms to meet its 2015/16 accommodation needs.
The school has since contacted my Department to request provision of interim temporary accommodation for 1 mainstream class until the devolved permanent accommodation project is complete. The school's application for temporary accommodation has been 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.
188. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an application for a student grant by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15 will be expedited; the reason for the delay; if Student Universal Support Ireland is aware that this student will be in danger of being forced to drop out of college if the grant is not urgently approved and paid out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44492/15]
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.
189. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence from a school principal regarding the proposed special educational needs programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44518/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory role under the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act to provide me with policy advice in relation to matters concerning the education of persons with special educational needs.
The NCSE published policy advice in 2013 which identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable and recommended the development of a new allocation model.
In developing its policy advice the NCSE consulted widely with education partners, representatives from the school sector, parents, and disability representative bodies.
The NCSE recommended that a new model based on the profiled needs of each school, rather than on the diagnosed disability of individual children be developed.
Although there was widespread support for the implementation of the new model, there was not time to address all of the issues in relation to the proposed new model in time to allow for it to be implemented this year.
I therefore established a pilot of the new model, which is currently underway in 47 schools, and which will run for the duration of the current school year.
The pilot will test the practical impacts of the new model prior to full implementation. It will also review the experiences of the schools who participated in the pilot, which will assist us further in developing the model.
I can also confirm that consultation will continue to take place with education partners and stakeholders prior to the implementation of any new model.
190. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will accept the arbitrator's findings in the recent arbitration process into the pay and remuneration of school secretaries and caretakers which recommended that increases be made to the hourly rates paid to workers, the changes she will make to the ancillary service grant and if she will provide advice and assistance to boards of management in schools on how to proceed if these recommendations are implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44531/15]
View answerThe majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant assistance to provide for secretarial and/or caretaking services. Within the capitation grant schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs and the Department does not stipulate how these services are to be obtained. Where a school uses the grant funding to employ a secretary or caretaker, such staff are employees of individual schools. My Department therefore does not have any role in determining the pay and conditions under which they are engaged. These are matters to be agreed between the staff concerned and the school authorities.
Notwithstanding the above, my Department recently engaged in an arbitration process regarding the pay of School Secretaries and Caretakers who are employed using grant funding. The Arbitrator recommended increases in the hourly rates paid to School Secretaries and Caretakers and the establishment of a minimum hourly pay rate.
The Arbitrator's recommendations have now been accepted by both sides. My Department will shortly issue a Circular to schools giving effect to the measures to apply from 1 January 2016, i.e. an increase of 2.5% in the hourly pay rate and the introduction of a minimum hourly rate of €10.25.
191. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications for reinstatement, following retirement on grounds of ill health, with prior notice granted since 2004; the legislation, rules and procedures under which they were granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44556/15]
View answerMy Department has not received any applications since 2004 for reinstatement, following retirement of staff on grounds of ill health.
192. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare qualifies for a higher education grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44593/15]
View answerUnder the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The Deputy will appreciate that, in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it is not possible to say whether or not a particular student would qualify for a grant.
The eligibility of the individual to which the Deputy refers is a matter for SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine upon receipt of the relevant application form and supporting documentation.
193. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status and eligibility to reactivate a higher education grant in the future for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44594/15]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that, in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it is not possible to say whether or not a particular student would qualify for a grant at some point in the future. This is a matter for SUSI to determine if/when the student reapplies for grant support.
In general terms the Student Support Scheme 2015 does provide an awarding authority with discretion to award a grant for a repeat period of study in exceptional circumstances under Article 15(8). An awarding authority will treat each application for repeat funding on a case by case basis and will have regard to issues such as the nature of the exceptional circumstances, how it impacted on the applicant's capacity to sit exams and the documentary evidence provided by the applicant. Details of how this provision applies are available on SUSI's website at http://susi.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015-Student-Grant-Scheme-Guidelines-for-an-Awarding-Authority.pdf.
194. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who holds a Bachelor of Arts in early childhood education is allowed to teach at primary school level, or if further qualification is required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44606/15]
View answerUnder the Teaching Council Act, the Teaching Council is, since 2006, the body with statutory authority for the recognition and registration of teachers in the State.
Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act requires that a teacher be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from Oireachtas-voted funds in respect of his/her employment in schools recognised for public funding.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2015-2019 sets out the procedures for appointment of teachers and special needs assistants at primary level. Under my Department's Circular 31/2011 schools are required to employ teachers who are appropriately qualified.
195. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the decision to close off Gaelcholáiste access to students in north eastern Kildare outside the catchment area of the closest such school in Lucan in County Dublin, her views regarding the total immersion form of education; if the expectation for enrolments being made has now been taken away for an unacceptable period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44652/15]
View answer196. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills why she is insisting that parents and students of north eastern Kildare again demonstrate sufficient viability for an immersion model of education, given that this demand is already long proven and is the basis upon which several Gaelscoileanna at primary level were established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44653/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together.
On 17 November last I announced the details of the new schools to be provided nationwide in 2017 and 2018. I also announced, in view of the anticipated enrolment numbers in the Irish-medium Aonad of Maynooth Community College and the continued support for a Gaelcholáiste in the North Kildare area, that a Gaelcholáiste will be established in 2019, subject to sufficient viability of the Aonad. My Department will continue to liaise with Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and An Foras Pátrúnachta in this regard.
Among my Department's responsibilities is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places in an area. In relation to enrolment policies, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. It is only where a school is over-subscribed that it can deploy a selection process. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.
The specific school in County Dublin to which the Deputy refers was established a number of years ago to cater for all-Irish post-primary demand in the area and was built to cater for 600 pupils. There is a refurbishment project in progress to provide 4 additional classrooms. In addition, 4 temporary classrooms and a science laboratory have recently been installed. The works being undertaken will increase the school's enrolment capacity to approximately 850 pupils.
197. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views regarding ending religious criteria for admissions to the model schools where she is the patron; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44654/15]
View answerThe model schools have their origin in the set of instructions drawn up by Chief Secretary Stanley in 1831 that empowered the Commissioners for National Education (National Education Board) to, inter alia, establish a model school for the training of teachers. From 1845 onwards model schools were established and managed by local inspectors. Model schools were found to be an unduly expensive method of training teachers, and their use for this purpose ceased from about 1883 onwards, the schools continuing to function as ordinary schools.
The functions of the National Education Board were taken over by the Department of Education and the model schools continued to be managed by inspectors and funded by the Department.
The Education Act 1998 placed the patronage of schools on a statutory basis. The Minister as owner of the model schools became the Patron of the model schools in accordance with the terms of the Act.
The schools operate as Catholic or Protestant schools in accordance with the historic traditions that go back to their foundation and the community to be served at the time they were established.
The Deputy will be aware that under the Equal Status Act, schools are not permitted to discriminate in admission on any of the grounds set out in the Act. However, the Act contains an exemption which permits schools in which the objective is to provide education that promotes certain religious values, to admit a student of a particular religion in preference to others.
I published the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill in early April of this year. While no amendment to the Equal Status Act has been included in the published Admission to Schools Bill I have since made clear my view that the Equal Status Act must be amended so that all schools are required to prioritise local children, regardless of their religion while building in protection for the small number of minority faith schools which serve dispersed communities.
This is a matter that needs to be addressed as a priority for the next Government so that it can be dealt with in advance of the next school year.
198. 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 County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44655/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that in the first named area to which she refers, a building project to provide for a 24 classroom primary school is currently under construction and is expected to be ready for occupation in early 2016.
With regard to the second area, a 24 classroom primary school was completed in May 2015. Both schools will provide for a capacity of approximately 635 pupils each.
In the adjoining area, a further building project for a 24 classroom primary school was completed in September 2014, providing capacity for approximately 635 pupils also.
A building project for a 1,000 pupil post-primary school in the first area referred to is included in the 6 Year Construction Programme that I announced on 17 November last, and is listed to proceed to tender and construction in 2016.
My Department continues to analyse demographic data on an ongoing basis, including County Dublin, to determine where further school accommodation might be needed in the future.
199. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the Early Start programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44656/15]
View answerThe Early Start Pre School programme was established in 1994/1995 in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda and Dundalk. The programme is aimed at children aged from 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months old.
It is a one year intervention scheme to meet the needs of children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are at risk of not reaching their potential within the school system. There is one fully qualified Primary School Teacher and one qualified Child Care Worker for every 30 students in every Early Start unit. Of the 40 Primary Schools, 15 have full units, with capacity for up to 60 students, and 25 half units, with capacity for up to 30 students each.
I am not aware of any shortages of qualified teachers for Early Start Units. The 55 Primary Teachers in question are part of each Primary School's allocation of teachers and often switch between Junior infant classes, Senior infant classes and Early Start unit classes from year to year.
200. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will request the National Asset Management Agency to build a greater percentage of houses for social housing than the 10% that it is mandated to allocate, given the urgent need to deliver new social housing, especially for the many homeless families (details supplied). [44521/15]
View answerThe National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) funding and financial decisions are a matter for NAMA in accordance with its statutory independent commercial mandate. However, I welcome the announcement by NAMA that, within the context of that mandate, it expects to be in a position to fund the construction of up to 20,000 new residential units, predominantly located in Dublin and the neighbouring counties of Wicklow, Kildare and Meath, over the next five years. In line with residential planning and regulatory requirements, developments funded by NAMA are subject to policy relating to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. As such, I expect 10% of the output of this investment by NAMA, or about 2,000 units, to become available for social housing.
NAMA is already playing an important role in the delivery of social housing. To the end of September 2015, a total of 1,600 NAMA residential properties had been delivered for social housing use, comprising 1,241 completed properties and a further 359 that have been contracted and where completion work is on-going. A further 486 properties are considered as being active transactions whereby terms are agreed or active negotiation is on-going. An additional 440 properties are to be further appraised. Overall, I expect that initiative will result in over 2,000 units being made available for social housing purposes. My Department will continue to work closely with NAMA to ensure that maximum social housing benefit is gained through NAMA activities.
Information on NAMA social housing programme is available on the website of the Housing Agency at www.housing.ie/NAMA.
