Written Answers Nos. 98-109
98. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers who are currently on payroll qualified as teachers in or after February 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11920/16]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that it is the policy of my Department that only teachers registered with the Teaching Council should be employed by recognised schools. Circulars 31/2011, 25/2013 and 52/2013 issued by my Department to the Managerial Authorities of schools state that each employer shall ensure that each person proposed for appointment to a teaching post, for which salary grant is being sought, must be registered with the Teaching Council and have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which he/she is to be employed.
The information available to my Department relates to teachers appointed for the first time since February 2012 as follows:
- Teachers employed in Primary Schools 2,940.
- Teachers employed in Voluntary Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Schools 1,230.
As Education and Training Boards (ETBs) operate their own payrolls, information on teachers first appointed in the ETB sector since February 2012 is not readily available in my Department.
99. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to move all of the teachers who qualified in or after February 2012 to the pay scales which are currently in place for teachers who qualified prior to that date; if so, if teachers who qualified in or after February 2012 will be compensated for reduced earnings from the date of their qualification to the date on which they are added to the pre-February 2012 scales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11921/16]
View answer107. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will end the pay inequality for teachers who qualified after 2011; when he will establish a public service pay commission; when the commission will report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12007/16]
View answer108. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to bring forward pay equalisation for new teachers and to reverse the pay cuts introduced for new entrant teachers. [12008/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 99, 107 and 108 together.
The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including entry pay levels. The terms of reference and timescale for the Commission's work are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the Public Service, particularly so in important professional areas like education.
The restrictions in entry pay levels were introduced in 2011 and 2012 across the public service at a time when the pressure in public finances was severe and the scope for new recruitment was very restricted.
Under the Lansdowne Road Agreement the process of restoring public pay is commencing. An important feature of this is the flat rate increase which is being implemented. This is proportionately more valuable to those early in their careers. Restoration of the supervision and substitution payment is provided for subject to co-operation with the Lansdowne Road Agreement. The Lansdowne Road Agreement did not address the issue of pay of new entrants.
My Department continues to seek to engage with teacher unions on issues of mutual concern and has recently reached agreement with INTO and TUI in respect of:
- discussions to improve the position of teachers on fixed-term and part-time teaching,
- a robust review of in-school management structures,
- an increase in the quantum of the extra Croke Park hours which do not have to be worked on a "whole school" basis.
The Government has also indicated that it will support the gradual negotiated repeal of FEMPI measures having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants.
100. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the scheme of financial support that may be available from his Department to assist a school (details supplied) to develop a play area for the children in its new autism spectrum disorder unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11963/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that it is open to the school in question to submit an application under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme in respect of the provision of facilities for Special Needs. The appropriate application is available on my Department's website, www.education.ie.
101. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will publish the Irish language early education policy for the Gaeltacht; if he intends to implement it in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11971/16]
View answerThe drafting of a Policy on Gaeltacht Education is at an advanced stage. This is a key response by my Department to the Government's Twenty Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 – 2030. Provision for early years education in the Gaeltacht is part of the overall policy for Gaeltacht education alongside the primary and post-primary sectors.
I am awaiting the draft policy document and will consider it along with my colleagues in Government before it can be approved. I expect that this will happen in the coming weeks before our summer recess.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to strengthen support for the Irish language. This commitment was made in anticipation of the finalisation and thereafter the implementation of the Gaeltacht Education policy.
102. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a permanent building for a temporary primary school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11974/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that a site for the school, referred to, has been identified and officials from my Department are progressing the acquisition. As the Deputy will appreciate, due to the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, my Department is not in a position to provide further information at this time.
103. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills to consider a proposal regarding an educational booklet (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11982/16]
View answerThe Department of Education and Skills has done its utmost to support and embrace the educational aspects of the Ireland 2016 commemorative programme. Under its auspices, the Professional Development Service for Teachers has already placed approximately 70 resources about 1916 on the Scoilnet portal for teachers and students, many of them produced by teachers themselves.
It would be contrary to current Department policy to purchase and distribute any privately or commercially produced publications, in any curricular area. It is for schools themselves to choose what resources they consider best suit their students and teachers, taking cognisance of any syllabi or curricular guidelines which may be produced from time to time.
104. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills to review the number of teachers in a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11991/16]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. My Department has not received a staffing appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy.
The school had a mainstream teaching post suppressed for the 2015/16 school year due to falling enrolments. The pupil-teacher ratio in the school for the 2015/16 school year is 27.4:1. The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. My Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment etc.). School authorities are also requested, where possible, to use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to implement smaller class sizes for junior classes.
The mainstream staffing in the school will remain the same for 2016/17 on the basis of the number of pupils enrolled on 30th September 2015.
105. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) under the summer works scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11993/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) will be applied on a multi-annual basis for the years 2016 and 2017. The Deputy will be aware that details of the 197 successful school applicants in Categories 1 and 2 under the SWS (2016-2017) were announced on 28th April last, details of which are published on my Department's website, www.education.ie.
Under SWS (2016-2017), valid applications from schools that were not reached for funding reasons from within the funding made available in 2016 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available in 2017, subject to the overall availability of funding. If this arises, the terms and conditions of the scheme as outlined in Circular Letter (0055/2015), which may be accessed on my Department's website, will continue to apply when allocating funding to such projects. An application from the school, referred to by the Deputy, is available to be considered in this context.
106. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has identified a site for the new Gaelscoil in Goatstown-Stillorgan, the patronage of which was announced on 19 May 2016; and his efforts to secure same. [11998/16]
View answerAs the Deputy may already be aware, the project to deliver a new school building for the school to which she refers was announced to go to construction in 2018.
Officials from my Department have worked closely with officials from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites to procure a suitable site for this building project. A site acquisition process is underway at present.
Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. I can, however, assure you that the acquisition of a new site for the school is a priority for the Department and the school authorities will be informed of the location for the school as soon as it is possible to do so.
When the site acquisition has been completed, the project will be progressed to architectural planning.
109. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reduce class sizes in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12009/16]
View answerThe Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level.
The pupil teacher ratio in the current school year is 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils.
Budget 2016 provides for a one point adjustment to the staffing allocation to primary schools, which will be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Lower thresholds apply for DEIS Band 1 schools, ranging from 20:1 to 24:1 depending on the type of school. Staffing arrangements for the 2016/17 school year are available in Circular 0007/2016, which is published on the Department website.
In the next Budget I will consider the best approach to further meeting commitments in the Programme for Government.
