Written Answers Nos. 480-494
480. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding provided to primary and post-primary schools for capital works by county from 2011 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4255/16]
View answerTotal capital funding provided to the primary and post-primary sectors from 2013 to 2015 is identified on a county basis in the following table.
Capital funding provided to the primary and post-primary sectors
|
Sligo |
4,743,524 |
2,777,777 |
3,505,182 |
|
Tipperary |
10,555,075 |
13,113,050 |
13,793,015 |
|
Waterford |
4,657,083 |
13,771,966 |
12,602,010 |
|
Westmeath |
4,507,604 |
7,837,918 |
9,255,188 |
|
Wexford |
8,803,577 |
11,724,895 |
19,298,294 |
|
Wicklow |
12,019,396 |
14,235,093 |
35,869,469 |
481. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will have a reader in place in time for the leaving certificate applied examinations. [4288/16]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
The State Examinations Commission operates the scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations (RACE).
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
482. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Education and Skills to examine the rules for assessment of income for self-employed persons to allow for current-year income to be considered similar to the rates for PAYE workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4291/16]
View answerAll applications for a maintenance grant are means tested based on the reckonable income for the previous tax year.
Article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme allows for the review of eligibility during the academic year, if there is a permanent change in circumstance, relating to a number of events including a drop in reckonable income which is likely to obtain for the duration of the approved course or for the foreseeable future.
Any candidate, whether employed or self employed, who experiences a reduction in reckonable income of a permanent nature, may apply to have their eligibility reviewed under the change in circumstances clause. Where a candidate can provide satisfactory documentation to confirm that the reduction in income is permanent, their grant eligibility would be based on their revised (i.e. current) income rather than on their income for the previous tax year.
483. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills to support a matter (details supplied) regarding school places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4305/16]
View answerIt is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area.
Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. 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. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of an Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year.
Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to either the relevant ETB or to the Secretary General of my Department.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, which was published in April of last year, provides an over-arching framework to ensure that how schools decide on who is enrolled and who is refused a place in schools is more structured, fair and transparent.
484. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 205 of 17 June 2015, if she has made a decision on the matter; if not, when she expects to make a decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4340/16]
View answerThe Deputy is aware that the Teaching Council were asked to examine and advise on entry requirements to programmes of initial teacher education including the Gaeltacht entry scheme to the Bachelor of Education.
The existing Gaeltacht entry scheme allows for the reservation of up to 10% of places in the colleges of education for Gaeltacht applicants. To qualify as a Gaeltacht applicant a person must be resident in an officially designated Gaeltacht area and it must be confirmed that the normal language of the home is Irish.
The 20 year strategy for the Irish Language proposes that up to 20% of places in colleges of education would be retained for students educated through Irish in Gaeltacht schools and gaelscoileanna, with students in English medium schools also being eligible, subject to a high performance threshold in Irish in the Leaving Certificate.
The Teaching Council has submitted its advice and it is currently being considered by my Department. I expect to make a decision on the matter shortly.
485. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the additional funding she has allocated to schools through the capitation and ancillary grant, given the recommendation of the arbitrator to increase the minimum pay of school secretaries and caretakers to €10.25 per hour from January 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4357/16]
View answerI assume the Deputy is referring to primary schools.
The amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment, subject to a minimum grant for both capitation and ancillary services in respect of schools with enrolments up to 60, and a maximum ancillary services grant in the case of schools with enrolments of 500 or more.
In 2016 the ancillary grant is being increased by €6 from €147 to €153 per pupil.
Schools that in December 2015 pay an hourly rate of less than €10 per hour to School Secretaries and Caretakers from the Ancillary Services Grant and who will have insufficient funds in 2016 to pay the new minimum rate of €10.25 that comes into effect from 1 January 2016 can apply to my Department for some additional funding in order to enable them implement the new minimum rate. The detailed arrangements are set out in Department Circular 0076/2015 that was published in December 2015 on my Department's website.
486. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount that has been allocated in the capitation and ancillary grant by school over each of the past five years in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4358/16]
View answerI assume the Deputy is referring to primary schools.
The following table outlines the overall expenditure of capitation and ancillary grants at primary level for the years 2011 to 2015. A more detailed breakdown of this data for each of the circa. 3,300 schools for each of the years in question is a resource intensive process and is therefore not readily available to be provided to the Deputy.
The amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment, subject to a minimum grant for both capitation and ancillary services in respect of schools with enrolments up to 60, and a maximum ancillary services grant in the case of schools with enrolments of 500 or more.
Expenditure in relation to Capitation Grants and Ancillary Service Grants for Primary Schools
|
- |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|
Ancillary Grant |
€78,823,180.38 |
€77,070,575.16 |
€75,579,772.37 |
€74,015,594.68 |
€72,331,525.96 |
|
Capitation Grant |
€103,796,257.60 |
€103,731,222.81 |
€103,493,193.28 |
€102,425,824.63 |
€107,449,701.40 |
487. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of the construction of the community school in Clifden in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4359/16]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. The letter of intent issued to the preferred tenderer in late November 2015. My Department is currently awaiting the return of the completed supplementary tender report and when this is received and considered my Department will revert directly to the school regarding progression of the project to construction stage.
488. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the decision whereby a person (details supplied) in County Cork was denied access to a scribe for the leaving certificate examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4380/16]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
The State Examinations Commission operates the scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations (RACE).
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
489. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of regulation 3 of the Teaching Council registration regulations dealing with those persons who have applied for registration as a teacher on the basis of qualifications as a Montessori or other suitably qualified teacher; if any change to regulation 3 has taken place or will take place; the provisions to be made for those who already hold Teaching Council registration, on the basis of a level 8 qualification in Montessori education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4395/16]
View answerSince 2006, under the Teaching Council Act 2001 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility and authority for regulation of the teaching profession including the registration of teachers.
Teachers are registered under the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2009. The Teaching Council recognises undergraduate Montessori qualifications (Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications) which meet the requirements of Regulation 3 (Montessori and other categories) of the 2009 Regulations.
The Teaching Council is currently reviewing the 2009 regulations and is endeavouring to ensure that teachers who are registered or currently pursuing a programme whose graduates registered under Regulation 3 will not be disadvantaged by any revision. Therefore provision will be made in any forthcoming Registration Regulations for those currently registered with the Council under Regulation 3 on the basis of holding a level 8 Montessori qualification.
490. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of traineeships and the number of persons who participated on these courses in 2015; the estimated numbers for 2016; the cost of increasing and the number of persons undertaking a traineeship or an apprenticeship to 50,000 by 2020. [4403/16]
View answerThis is an operational matter for SOLAS.
I am informed by SOLAS that the total number of beneficiaries that participated on Traineeships in 2015, up to the period ending 30th September, is 3,232. SOLAS, in conjunction with the various ETBs, is in the process of preparing its 2016 annual service plan and is not is a position to estimate the number who will participate in a traineeship in 2016 at this stage.
Taking account of the development of new apprenticeships and new career traineeships and overall employer demand, budget allocations to cater for the increased participation in these programmes will be determined on an annual basis.
491. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide school transport to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [4405/16]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for transport where they are attending the nearest recognised school that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs.
The child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport and my Department, in accordance with the terms of the scheme, has sanctioned a Special Transport Grant for the family to cover the cost of private transport arrangements.
492. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide equipment for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4409/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.
In order to qualify for equipment under the assistive technology scheme, a child must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the child to access the curriculum. It must also be clear that the existing I.T. equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs.
I can advise the Deputy that an application for assistive technology support for the child referred to in his question has been received by my Department and that a letter issued to the school on 27th January confirming the level of grant support available.
493. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the planned extension and refurbishment works at a second level school (details supplied) in County Cork; when the project will commence and be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4425/16]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the project for the school referred to, is included in the 6 Year Construction Programme that I announced on 17 November last.
The timeline for when work is expected to proceed is outlined in the announcement. Each project is listed in the year when the commencement of construction works is anticipated. In the case of the school referred to, it is listed to proceed to construction in 2017.
My Department will be in communication with all those schools on the programme, including the school referred to, 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.
494. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure an emergency application for toilet facilities by a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath is immediately granted, given that the occupational therapist has indicated this is a priority-one issue, needs urgent attention and is essential for the safety of the students who utilise the school facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4448/16]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers recently submitted additional information relating to an application for funding for the works in question. This information is currently being examined and the school will be notified of the outcome as soon as a decision has been made.
