Written Answers Nos. 436-453
436. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the primary schools in County Cork and Cork city that have delivering equality of opportunity in schools status; the extra supports and resources available as a result of this designation; the process by which a school can receive this status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7625/16]
View answerThe list of the schools in question is available on my Department's website at the following link:-http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/.
The resources provided for DEIS Primary Schools are as follows:
Band 1 Schools -
- Reduced class sizes with pupil teacher ratios of 20:1 in junior schools, 22:1 in vertical schools and 24:1 in senior schools
Band 1 and Band 2 Schools -
- The appointment of an Administrative Principal in Band 1 schools is based on 116 pupils and in Band 2 schools is based on 145 pupils
- Access to Home/School/Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme and School Completion Programme (SCP)
- Access to literacy/numeracy support service to specific literacy/numeracy measures
- Access to transfer programmes
Band 1, Band 2 and DEIS Rural schools (All primary DEIS schools):
- DEIS grants based on level of disadvantage
- Additional funding under School Books Grant Scheme
- Access to Schools Meals Programme
- Access to planning supports
- Access to a range of professional development supports.
As the Deputy is aware, a process for the review of the DEIS Programme which I announced in 2015, is currently underway in my Department. While this process is underway, I do not intend to make any changes to the current programme, including the addition of any further schools.
438. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 732 of 6 April 2016, when the tender report was submitted to her; when the assessment will be completed; and when construction on the new school will begin given that a builder has been chosen and the current circumstances (details supplied), given the state of the existing school and that almost 16 years has elapsed since the first planning application was made to the county council. [7666/16]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. The revised Tender Report was received in my Department in February 2016. Earlier this week, my Department authorised the School Authority to issue the letter of intent to the preferred tenderer. When the completed supplementary tender report is received and considered my Department will revert directly to the school regarding progression of the project to construction stage.
439. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the proposed works planned for a national school (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and the timeframe for same. [7671/16]
View answerI can confirm that the school in question has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation. My Department expects to be in a position to convey a decision on the application to the school in the coming weeks.
440. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the grant assistance available to a student who intends to study for a masters degree in England; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7676/16]
View answerStudents who are attending undergraduate courses in an EU Member State can apply for a maintenance grant in respect of an approved course which is being pursued in an approved institution. The student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside of Ireland.
Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners at www.revenue.ie.
441. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the summer works scheme results will be announced, given the delay is causing logistical problems for schools planning tenders, etc.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7691/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications are being assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (0055/2015), is available on my Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to publish a list of successful applicants shortly.
442. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills why she has refused an application for resource hours by a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7769/16]
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 teaching hours 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 Spec Ed Circular 02/05.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA or resource teaching support for the 2016/17 school year by 29th February 2016. The NCSE continues to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
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.
Details of the manner in which a school, or parent, may appeal a resource teaching allocation decision is also available at www.ncse.ie
As the question raised by the Deputy relates to an application for support for an individual child, I have arranged for this question to be forwarded to the NCSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
443. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will sanction a new and expanded permanent school building for a school (details supplied) in Dublin 17; if the site owned by her Department adjacent to the existing school can be used for this purpose; if she is aware of the expanding population in this area; her views on whether the existing Gaelscoil is already operating to full capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7773/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provided a purpose built building for the school in question in 2008. My Department, therefore, has no plans to replace or extend this building. The school is operating at the capacity for which the building was constructed.
I also wish to advise the Deputy that one of my Department's key responsibilities is to ensure that schools, in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. In this regard, my Department is aware that there is existing capacity in primary schools in the Coolock/Darndale/Artane/Edenmore areas.
My Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed. A new primary school will open in September 2016 to serve the Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1 feeder area (which is adjacent to the feeder area in which the school, referred to, is situated) to cater for the demographic growth in that area.
My Department will keep the demographic projections under ongoing review to take account of updated enrolment and child benefit data and also the impact of capacity increases to schools in these areas.
444. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will sanction two temporary classrooms for a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13 while the permanent structures are under construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7774/16]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy was approved devolved funding in 2015 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 approved the rental of temporary accommodation for the school in question. This decision has been conveyed to the school.
445. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the proposed building project at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 9 will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7775/16]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy is included on the six year programme announced on 17th November 2015 and is listed to proceed to tender and construction in 2017.
A Project Manager and Design Team have been appointed for the project and it is currently at Stage 1 of Architectural Planning, which is the initial sketch design stage. My Department officials met recently with the Board of Management and their Design Team to review the Pre Stage 1 report.
Upon successful completion of Stage 1 and subject to no issues arising the project will be authorised to proceed to Stage 2a, which is the developed design stage.
446. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills why there is only one category (details supplied) for a school to be considered for an administrative principal on reduced pupil numbers. [7789/16]
View answerThe criteria for the appointment of Administrative Principal and Administrative Deputy Principal posts are based on pupil numbers. Enrolment thresholds for the 2016/2017 school year are set out in Appendix B of Circular 0007/2016, which is available on my Department's website.
My Department supports schools with more than one autism class by providing for the appointment of an Administrative Principal based on a lower enrolment than schools with no autism classes.
There are no plans to deviate from these arrangements for schools that do not meet the criteria set out in Circular 0007/2016.
I am aware of the workload and the pressures on Principal teachers. In this regard, my Department has provided release days for teaching principals to assist them in fulfilling their Principal duties. Circular 25/02 which is available on my Department's website outlines the number of days that teaching principals may take as release time in a school year.
Under these arrangements my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be employed by a school to facilitate administrative functions to be undertaken by the teaching principal. Under the current arrangements the number of days that principal teachers may take as release time in each school year ranges between 14 and 22 days depending on the size of the school.
I have recently received the NCSE's policy advice on supporting students with ASD. My officials will consider and report to me on any recommendations in the report which relate to the issues raised by the Deputy.
447. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if stage 2B of the permanent school building project for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin will be completed without further delay and if the project will move to tender as a matter of priority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7804/16]
View answerOn 7th January 2016 the major building project for the school in question was authorised to progress to an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b),which includes the applications for the Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents.
Planning permission was secured following the rejection of a third party appeal by An Bord Pleanála.
The school building project for this school was included on the six year programme announced on 17th November 2015. The design team will submit the stage 2(b) report to my Department when it is completed and my Department will revert to the school with regard to the further progression of the project following consideration of that report.
448. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the rules and criteria for entry to primary schools; whether the current rules can be outlined; whether there are rules or guidelines; whether she enforces or supervises them and if they are effective; whether the parish and catchment rules apply to all schools; to outline the appeal system against a school decision and the statistics available for past appeals; if a school (details supplied) in Dublin 5 is under the scheme and how children from areas some miles away are selected while locals are not given a place but put on a waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7815/16]
View answerThe Department's Rules for National Schools provides that the compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age and that a child must be at least 4 years of age before she/he may be enrolled in a National School.
Although children are not obliged to attend school until the age of six, most children begin school in the September following their fourth birthday.
It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. This enrolment policy must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.
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 and 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. Further information on the Section 29 appeals process is available on the Department's website www.education.ie.
I can advise the Deputy that during 2015 a total of 143 appeals against refusal to enrol decisions by primary schools were taken; 67 of which were withdrawn or resolved before the formal hearing; 29 of which were upheld and 47 of which were not upheld.
The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (EWS) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS can be contacted at 01-7718500.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, which was published in April of last year, contained a number of important changes to make enrolment policies fairer and more transparent. It was not possible to bring this complex piece of legislation through both Houses of the Oireachtas in the timeframe available.
However, I have made it clear that a legislative framework for school admissions is required and that this needs to be a priority for the next government.
449. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons in mortgage arrears who have been given the option of the mortgage to rent scheme in counties Laois and Kildare. [7282/16]
View answerMy Department has developed two Mortgage to Rent schemes - one which is available to borrowers of private commercial lending institutions and a separate scheme for local authority borrowers.
The Local Authority Mortgage to Rent (LAMTR) scheme has been developed specifically for local authority mortgage borrowers, as part of the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) arrangements which operates in local authorities. The scheme was piloted in Dublin City and Westmeath County Councils in 2013 and rolled out nationally in 2014. In total, 193 LAMTR cases have been completed to date, 7 of which were in Laois and 6 in Kildare, with a significant number of other cases being progressed by local authorities in the context of their operation of the MARP.
The LAMTR scheme is similar to the scheme for borrowers with mortgages from private commercial lending institutions, insofar as it also targets low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances in the foreseeable future. Further information on the LAMTR scheme is available on my Department’s website at the following link:http://www.environ.ie/housing/home-ownership/schemeservice/local-authority-mortgage-rent-lamtr-scheme.
Both schemes also ensure that the family remains in their home. In the case of LAMTR, ownership of the home is transferred to a local authority, rather than to an Approved Housing Body (AHB) as is the case under the MTR scheme in the private lending sector. Both schemes require the household to be eligible for social housing in order to access to the scheme.
My Department does not have access to information relating to the number of borrowers who have been offered the Mortgage to Rent Scheme by their specific private lending institution. The lender is the main point of contact for the borrower in terms of the operation of the scheme - only lenders can put an application forward for the scheme. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) can advise borrowers in mortgage distress how to access the Scheme, but it is up to the lender to offer the borrower access to it.
According to the latest figures available, at the end of February 2016, a total of 785 cases were either complete or being actively progressed under the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) Scheme for borrowers of private commercial lending institutions; 27 of these were in Laois, with 64 in Kildare. Of these, 150 cases had completed all stages of the process. In total, since the introduction of the Scheme in 2012, 3,256 cases had been submitted; 93 of these were in Laois, with 210 in Kildare. There are a variety of reasons why cases have not progressed including the householder’s circumstances improving during the process, no social housing demand in the area, the householder’s income being in excess of the statutory limits for eligibility for social housing, and poor condition of the property. My Department continues to work together with the agencies involved with the Scheme, including lenders, to streamline the administrative process and ensure that all potential cases are dealt with speedily and efficiently.
My Department continues to keep the operation of both Mortgage to Rent schemes under review.
450. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding an urgent application for mortgage to rent by a family (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7267/16]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 533 of 22 March 2016. The up-to-date position in relation to the specific case raised is that the Housing Agency is continuing to engage with the local authority, several approved housing bodies and the lender in order to progress this case.
451. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is an agreed limit within existing legislation to which a local authority can purchase houses in an existing residential estate for the purpose of housing local authority tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7277/16]
View answerThere is no limit within existing legislation covering the extent to which a local authority can purchase houses in an existing residential estate for social housing purposes. However, my Department has issued guidelines on Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities (available at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad%2C1979%2Cen.pdf) which covers issues such as tenure mix, estate composition and specific local needs.
When identifying acquisitions for social housing purposes, local authorities should ensure that all such issues are considered. The parameters under which my Department provides capital funding to local authorities for the acquisition of houses and apartments for social housing are set out in Circular Housing 24/2015, which is available at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/social-housing-strategy/circular-housing-242015-social-housing-capital.
452. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when Sligo County Council's housing voids application to his Department, which aims to bring 38 empty local authority premises back into use, will be allocated to the local authority, considering the urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7278/16]
View answerMy Department has allocated initial funding for 2016 to all local authorities, including Sligo County Council, in respect of continuing their work to deal with vacant social housing units. In the nature of social housing stock for which there is always a level of turnover in tenancies, I expect further proposals to be made by local authorities in respect of the refurbishment of vacant units over the course of 2016 and further allocations will issue over the course of the year.
453. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Irish Water has carried out an analysis on the extent of asbestos water mains piping here; and if Irish Water has plans to upgrade this piping in the near future. [7280/16]
View answerSince 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
