Written Answers Nos. 105-113
106. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the chairperson and members of the task force his Department established to review the insurance sector, including motor insurance; its terms of reference; the dates it has formally met; the work it has concluded to date; its next steps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21615/16]
View answerAs previously advised a task force has been established within my Department to undertake a Review of various aspects of Policy in the Insurance Sector. To date, the task force has been working on three specific insurance policy reviews, as follows:
1. A review of the framework for motor insurance compensation. This is a Joint Working Group involving the Department of Finance working closely with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
2. A review of flood insurance options which is being carried out by the Department of Finance and will feed into the final report of the Inter-Departmental Flood Policy Group, chaired by Seán Canney TD.
3. A review of the cost of insurance. To date the Department of Finance has engaged in bilateral consultations with the main stakeholders. This initial work will now be built upon through a Working Group chaired by the Minister of State, Eoghan Murphy TD.
Progress on these reviews is outlined below:
Review of the framework for motor insurance compensation
A Joint Working Group between my Department and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has carried out a review of the framework for motor insurance compensation in Ireland, in the event of a failure of an insurance company. The objective of the review is to identify the features of a motor insurance compensation framework that is comprehensive, effective, affordable and consumer-focused.
The Joint Working Group met on nine occasions in the period January to June 2016. In addition to these meetings, the Joint Working Group also met and engaged with relevant stakeholders involved in the governance and administration of the motor insurance compensation system, including the Central Bank of Ireland, the Accountant of the Courts of Justice, the State Claims Agency and representatives of the insurance industry in Ireland. The review also considered models in place in other jurisdictions.
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I are currently considering the Joint Working Group's report with a view to publication in the coming weeks. The report includes recommendations aimed at providing certainty regarding the compensation framework in Ireland.
Review of flood insurance
The Department of Finance has carried out a review of options for flood insurance with particular focus on the strategies that other jurisdictions have implemented to increase the availability of flood insurance cover. This work examined a number of policy options and the completed report has been sent to the Office of Public Works to feed into the final report of the Inter-Departmental Flood Policy Group, chaired by Seán Canney TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief.
Review of the cost of insurance
An important element of the review of policy in the insurance sector is an assessment of the factors contributing to the increasing cost of insurance. My officials have met bilaterally over recent months with the Central Bank, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, with representatives of the insurance industry in Ireland and with other interested Government Departments and Offices.
Following the Dáil Private Members' Motion on this matter on 8thand 9th June, the scope of the review has been broadened to include other matters raised in that debate. Following completion of the work on the reviews of the insurance compensation fund and on flood insurance this aspect of the insurance review has now been given an increased priority. Progress will be overseen by a Working Group with representatives from all relevant Departments and Agencies and chaired by Minister of State Eoghan Murphy. The Working Group will examine issues that can be addressed on a more immediate basis and also those that require more long-term policy solutions. The first meeting of the Working Group will take place on 20th July with further meetings scheduled for early September and in the coming months.
107. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will intervene to ensure that the access and inclusion model is made available to children in early start places in schools, who are not part of the early childhood and care education scheme; and if she will intervene in this matter for a child in Dublin West (details supplied). [21472/16]
View answerThe Access and Inclusion Model funded by my colleague, the Minister of Children and Youth Affairs, was developed specifically for the ECCE scheme. Early Start is funded by my Department. Early Start centres are based in 40 primary schools in areas of social disadvantage (DEIS band 1). In comparison to ECCE centres, Early Start centres are staffed by primary school teachers and a childcare assistant also works with each group. This teacher led staffing arrangement and comparatively favourable staff to child ratio is intended to support a range of special educational needs associated with concentrated disadvantage.
As I understand it the teachers in early start units can also avail of the full range of teacher training provided by PDST and the SESS (Special Needs Support Service) and they can access support from the Visiting Teachers Services ( Deaf and Blind) as required.
108. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the implementation of the recommendations of the Higher Education Authority report entitled Transitions Reform on transitions from leaving certificate stage to entry into third level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21396/16]
View answerA Transitions Reform Steering Group is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills and has membership from Department of Education and Skills, the National Centre for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the State Examinations Commission (SEC), the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and Institute of Technology Ireland (IOTI) as well as Professor Áine Hyland as an independent expert. The Group has, since 2012, been working collaboratively to develop and agree proposals to improve the transition experience of young people moving from second-level to higher education.
Three key underlying and unifying principles of the approach taken by the partners have been identified as follows:
- A recognition that good learning outcomes and key competences developed through a high quality student experience at second level provide a firm foundation for successful learning in higher education;
- A simplified, coherent and streamlined approach to system architecture and processes helps to build a bridge for students at the interface between different levels of education;
- Our national examination and our higher education admissions systems must have reliability, validity, integrity, equity, fairness and transparency as their hallmarks. It is essential that full public confidence in both systems is maintained.
In April 2015 the Minister for Education and Skills published a report entitled "Supporting a Better Transition from Second Level to Higher Education – Implementation and Next Steps", which set out a package of reforms developed by the stakeholders involved and which are designed to support students in the transition from second level to higher education. Those reforms are as follows:–
- To introduce a new grading scheme for the Leaving Certificate, which will reduce the number of grade bands from 14 to 8 at each level. Ireland's use of a high number of grading bands is unique internationally. The use of narrow grade bands may also put pressure on students to achieve marginal gains in examination performance and, as a consequence, focus excessive attention on the detail of the assessment process rather than on the achievement of broader learning objectives.
- Related to the new grading scheme, a revised Common Points Scale is also to be introduced. Developed by the universities and institutes of technology, the revised scale:–
- preserves the relative value of achievement at Ordinary level in relation to achievement at Higher level that applies in the current common points scale,
- minimises the use of random selection that may result from too many students achieving the same points score, particularly at Higher level, and
- Encourages the take-up of Higher level subjects at Leaving Certificate by awarding points to the new H7 grade.
- To address any perceived problematic predictability in the Leaving Certificate identified by an independent external evaluation of the examination. This evaluation, while not sustaining the concerns about predictability, did identify a number of issues for consideration.
- To broaden undergraduate entry reduce the number of undergraduate entry routes, while maintaining the number of student places, to the minimum number necessary for academically appropriate and efficient allocation of places to applicants. This had been signalled not only as a means to reduce the complexity of choice for second-level students and the level of competitiveness driving the system, but also as an opportunity to offer a much broader experience for undergraduates with specialisation to follow later in their degree. These developments align with the modernisation of undergraduate curricula and assessment that is underway in institutions across the higher education system.
Implementation of these reforms: As the Deputy will be aware, a new Grading system and a revised common Points Scale will be introduced for the Leaving Certificate. These will take effect for entry into higher education from 2017 – the first overhaul of the points system since 1992. This new progressive points system is a vital part of the overall Transitions Reform agenda. The new grading scheme for the Leaving Certificate will reduce the number of grade bands from 14 to 8 at each level will be introduced.
Under the revised scale, the maximum points available in each subject is 100, and the overall maximum points available, excluding Bonus Points for Maths, is 600. This is the same as the points available under the current scale.
All students applying through the CAO from 2017 will be awarded points under the new scale, no matter when they sat the Leaving Certificate.
Because of the non-linear design and other features of the new points scale, all students regardless of which level they sit, will on average receive slightly less points than under the current system. This means that it is likely that, on average, the points required for entry to particular courses will also be slightly lower from 2017.
However, it is not expected that this change will be out of line with the natural variation of required points which occurs from year to year in any case.
The new points system has been specifically designed to fairly reward scholastic achievement and I can assure you that very extensive and detailed modelling and testing has been conducted by the higher education institutions, with the assistance of both the CAO and other technical experts, to ensure that the revised scale is fair and equitable to all students.
Ongoing research will monitor the implementation of the various elements of the programme of change on a systematic basis, and assess the overall impact of the changes.
Further detailed information on the new Leaving certificate grading system can be found at www.transition.ie.
In relation to the issues for consideration identified around the area of perceived problematic predictability in the Leaving Certificate, these are being examined by the State Examinations Commission.
Finally, the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 recommended that a steering and performance based framework for the system governance of higher education in Ireland was to be put in place. This framework, sets out the areas of responsibility for setting national priorities of Government and related short to medium term objectives for the higher education system.
The second Systems Performance Report is currently being drafted by the HEA and it is expected that it will be ready for publication in the coming weeks. Following on from this, there will be a review of the Systems Performance Framework during 2016 with a revised framework developed for the period ahead. It is intended to address the issue of broadening undergraduate entry, as part of this next Systems Performance Framework which will be put in place for Higher Education Institutions later this year.
109. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports available to a person who wishes to complete a nursing degree (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21401/16]
View answerTo satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another, where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.
The objective of this policy is to help as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study. Given the level of demand on the student grant budget from first time students and students that are progressing with their studies to a higher level, there are no plans at present to change the arrangements in place.
A student holding a Level 8 qualification would not satisfy the progression requirements of the Scheme on commencing another undergraduate Level 8 degree programme.
However, 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. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie.
110. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of issuing a bus ticket to a person (details supplied). [21406/16]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that the child in question is eligible for school transport.
The family will be contacted directly by Bus Éireann on the matter.
111. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills to examine and review the proposed changes to remove concessionary bus tickets for school-going children by downsizing buses, given that up to one in five children could lose their tickets in a reduction to be phased in from the 2016 to 2017 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21430/16]
View answerIn general, children are eligible for school transport if they are attending their nearest school and reside the requisite distance from that school which at primary level is 3.2 kilometres and 4.8 kilometres at post primary level.
Transport on a concessionary basis is available to children who are not eligible for school transport, because they are not attending their nearest school or because they reside less than the requisite distance. Transport on a concessionary basis is subject to a number of conditions which are detailed in the School Transport Scheme such as the existence of spare seats on the bus after all eligible children have been catered for and payment of the school transport charge.
The Programme for Government commits to review the concessionary charges and rules element of the School Transport Scheme prior to Budget 2017.
Pending this review, there will be no planned programme of downsizing school buses in the coming school year. There will be route changes and variations in line with normal operational decisions that occur from year to year, and any impacts in terms of increases or decreases of available places will be marginal, in line with what occurs every year.
It is important to point out that this has no relevance or impact whatsoever for children who are eligible for school transport.
112. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is aware of any specific access programmes that are being established to provide a route to third level, specifically to Dublin Institute of Technology, Grangegorman, for young persons from the inner city of Dublin; if there are none, if he will consider putting some in place; if he recognises the importance of such access programmes for persons from disadvantaged areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21439/16]
View answerThe Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Access Service actively engages directly with primary and post primary schools in the inner city of Dublin.
The DIT 'Inner City' school programme focuses on working with 1st to 6th year students in 13 schools in the inner city area. The overall aim of this programme is to increase the number of students from schools in inner city Dublin entering and completing higher education.
Activities through this programme are run both on-campus and in schools and include on-campus tours, shadowing days, the Take 5 Summer School and college taster programmes. There are also workshops for students exploring the link between college and careers and promoting entry routes such as the HEAR and DARE schemes. For leaving certificate students supports include Easter revision courses and supervised study programmes.
DIT also supports a number of Access Entry Routes for students in disadvantaged areas such as inner city Dublin. These include the Access Foundation Programme which is a one year full time programme that prepares young people for higher education. In 2015/16 approximately one third of students participating in this programme were from inner city Dublin.
DIT also participates in the HEAR and DARE schemes which offer higher education places at reduced points to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged areas.
113. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will extend the lunch and travel allowance scheme to persons (details supplied) in order that they receive the same expenses as those students who attend training centre courses in the same location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21458/16]
View answerLearners on ETB training courses, the Youthreach programme and the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme are eligible to receive payment of a meal and travel allowance.
Meal and travel allowances are not paid to participants on part-time adult basic education courses funded by my Department through SOLAS and provided free of charge to learners.
My Department has no plans to extend the provision of meal and travel allowances to learners on other courses provided within the ETB sector.
