Written Answers Nos. 221 - 240
221. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of employing an entry grade teacher at primary level, including employers PRSI; and the cost of employing an entry grade teacher at post-primary level, including employers PRSI, from September 2017 onwards. [24205/16]
View answerThe annual cost of employing an entry grade teacher at primary or post primary level in a full time post at current pay rates is €33,316. This rate includes employers PRSI. This rate is effective from 1 January 2016.
A circular outlining the new pay rates for primary teachers wef 1st September 2016 will be placed on my Department's website in the near future. The position in regard to post primary teachers wef 1st September 2016 is outlined in Circular 45/2016 which was placed on my Department website recently.
The rates of pay outlined in my Department circulars are exclusive of employers PRSI.
Two further pay increases fall due on 1 September 2017 under the terms of Lansdowne Road Agreement i.e. an increase of €1,000 to basic pay and an increase of €796 to incorporate the second moiety of the Supervision and Substitution allowance into the teacher pay scale.
222. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing the minor works grants scheme to schools by 10% for 2017. [24206/16]
View answerThe cost of the Minor Works Grant for the school year 2015/2016 which issued last November amounted to €28.7m. An increase of 10% would bring the cost of the Minor Works Grant to €31.6m a rise of €2.9m.
The Deputy is no doubt aware that under the provisions of Circular Letter 0062/2013 the Minor Works Grant is only paid as funding permits.
223. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of expanding the DEIS programme to an additional 10% new schools; and the estimated number of new schools that have opened since the DEIS scheme was last expanded in 2006. [24207/16]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the review of the DEIS programme is currently underway and it is my intention that a New Action Plan Educational Inclusion will be published by the end of this year.
The review is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the identification process for the inclusion of schools in the programme, the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, and the scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and agencies.
It should be noted that additional resources in DEIS schools are calculated on the basis of each schools' level of socioeconomic disadvantage. In the absence of accurate information as to the level of disadvantage in schools not participating in DEIS, it is not possible to accurately predict the additional costs referred to by the Deputy.
In relation to current programme there are 836 schools participating in DEIS (646 primary schools and 190 post-primary schools) serving a total of 169,500 pupils costing in the region of €110m provided by my Department with additional supports provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, under the School Completion Programme, and Department of Social Protection under the School Meals Programme in DEIS schools.
In terms of new schools established since the introduction of DEIS in 2006, I can confirm that the relevant numbers are: 99 primary schools (of which 21 were included in the DEIS programme between 2006 and 2009) and 31 post-primary schools.
224. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of a reintroduction of the modern languages in primary school programme; and the cost of establishing this programme in all primary schools. [24208/16]
View answerThe language priority in our primary education is to provide high-quality language learning experiences to our pupils in our two national languages, Irish and English. A new Primary Language Curriculum, incorporating Irish and English, has been developed by the NCCA. The first phase will be introduced for Junior Infants to 2nd classes from September 2016. This curriculum aims to ensure that pupils acquire transferable language skills which will assist them in learning Irish and English and thereafter additional languages at second level.
An intensive Continuing Professional Development programme is being provided to school Principals and their teachers to enable them to confidently and competently teach the new language curriculum to pupils of all abilities.
If schools choose to teach an extra-curricular language, this may be done at the discretion of the Board of Management.
225. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to draft an overarching policy strategy plan for the higher education sector here. [24209/16]
View answerThe Higher Education System in Ireland is undergoing a programme of unprecedented modernisation and reform. Through implementation of the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, the aim is to develop the higher education system to equip people with the knowledge and skills necessary to live fulfilled and rewarding lives, and to meet the social and economic challenges facing Ireland.
A core goal for the higher education system under the Systems Performance Framework 2014-2016 is to "meet Ireland's human capital needs across the spectrum of skills by engaged institutions through a diverse mix of provision across the system and through both core funding and specifically targeted initiatives."
The implementation of the System Performance Framework, Strategic Dialogue and agreement of compacts between the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) underpins a changed relationship between the State and the higher education system and provides for a new level of accountability for public funding against national objectives for the public funded higher education system.
The first System Performance Report was published in June 2014 and the second Systems Performance Report is currently being drafted by the HEA and it is expected that it will be ready for publication later in 2016.
In terms of future planning, following the publication of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, the Oireachtas Committee will consider the issues involved as part of an effort to build a consensus on the future direction of higher education funding. In the meantime, I will be examining the potential for new funding models to ensure that we can deliver results in areas such as disadvantage, skills and research.
In addition, we will be mapping out a multi-year vision for the future of this crucial sector which will see the development of a new Systems Performance Framework for Higher Education for the period to 2021. I will be examining measurement instruments for key areas that will include increasing access for underrepresented groups, flexible and online learning, responsiveness to emerging skills needs, student retention, new apprenticeship models and a renewed focus on improving the quality of the student experience and learning outcomes.
My hope is that this can be done in the context of a broad consensus among political and other stakeholders on the priorities for and future funding of higher education.
226. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will commission the HEA to carry out a more comprehensive graduate earnings survey, given that there is very little data available on graduate earning profiles here, beyond the first year post-graduation, an indiction of which is that a group (details supplied) had to use graduate earning survey data from 2006 to model repayments for the income contingent loan system in their report. [24210/16]
View answerThe Higher Education Authority produce an annual Graduate Destination Survey, which as the question suggests only tracks destinations 9 months post course completion, and also only covers universities and colleges. The plan for next year is to extend this to the Institutes of Technology, and there are also plans to move towards a more longitudinal approach which will look at destinations further out from graduation. The 2006 survey refers to the last National Employment Earnings Survey prepared by the Central Statistics Office, which was used by the Expert Group as this was the last source with a sufficient survey base to model graduate earnings to the detail required.
227. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department or a body under its aegis has carried out any research into the current debt profile of university students and or recent graduates here; the sources and results of this research; and if his Department has any statistics on the number of university students who take out bank or credit union loans for tuition and maintenance. [24211/16]
View answerMy Department does not hold information on the specific details set out by the Deputy. The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, published recently, outlines the funding challenges in the sector and offers a number of approaches and recommendations for consideration. As committed to in the Programme for Government, I am referring the report to the Education Committee as part of the process for formulating a plan for the future of the sector. This will ensure that all views can be heard and considered.
228. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the deficit and debt incurred by each State funded institute of technology and university here in each of the years 2013 to 2016 to date. [24212/16]
View answerNot all of the information sought by the Deputy is available in my Department. Officials of my Department have requested the Higher Education Authority to collate the information and I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
229. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is envisaged that technological universities will be able to borrow independently and off the State balance sheet, in the same manner as universities currently can. [24213/16]
View answerThe Universities Act, 1997 contains a provision for universities to borrow within a framework agreed with the Higher Education Authority. This framework, which was agreed with my Department and the now Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, has been in operation for many years. A similar provision to allow Institutes of Technology to borrow is contained in the Institutes of Technology Act, 2006, however this provision has not been commenced.
As the Deputy may be aware, universities are classified as outside General Government for Eurostat purposes, while Institutes of Technology are classified as within General Government. This arises primarily from the difference in funding sources in the two sectors, with the university sector raising a greater proportion of income from non-State sources.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the recent economic crisis and continuing constraints on Government as a result of EU fiscal rules on expenditure and debt levels has to date prevented the agreement of a borrowing framework for Institutes of Technology. However, my Department is continuing to discuss with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform the possibility of agreeing a borrowing framework as part of broader deliberations arising from the report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education.
230. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to his Department of implementing the EPSEN Act in full; and if he will give a breakdown of the areas in which these costs would be incurred. [24214/16]
View answerA number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children.
The Sections of the EPSEN Act which have not been implemented are those which would have conferred a statutory entitlement to:
- an educational assessment for all children with special educational needs.
- consequent development of a statutory individual educational plan (IEP).
- the delivery of detailed educational services on foot of this plan.
- an independent appeals process.
The NCSE has published a Plan for the Implementation of the EPSEN Act. This report, which was published in 2006, made recommendations which suggested that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235m per annum, across the education and health sectors, would be required to fully implement the EPSEN Act.
My Department's opinion is that the level of investment required could be significantly greater than that envisaged in the NCSE report. However, a total estimate of this amount has not been quantified.
Revised estimates of the amount of additional expenditure required to fully implement the remaining sections of the EPSEN Act have not recently been conducted. The level of additional expenditure required would have to take into account annual demographic growth and service developments in the area of special educational needs, pricing adjustments and salary cost differentials on an ongoing basis.
Estimates would also have to be made as to the number of pupils who might currently qualify for the statutory service provisions envisaged by the EPSEN Act.
While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has published a number of policy advice papers.
These reports include the NCSE Report on Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools (2013) and the Report of the NCSE Working Group: Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for Students with Special Educational Needs (2014). The NCSE has also published an Information booklet for Parents of Children with Special Educational Needs. These reports are available at www.ncse.ie. The policy advice paper 'Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools' included an assessment of the legislative and administrative practices underpining the provision of special educational needs supports and also the current polices and manner of providing supports for children with special educational needs in schools.
The report also made a number of recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, and which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act.
It is therefore intended to bring into effect many of the good ideas contained in the EPSEN Act, on a non-statutory basis initially, through policy developments across a range of areas, in conjunction with NCSE policy advice.
Under the Programme for a Partnership Government, I have also committed to consulting with stakeholders to see how best to progress sections of the EPSEN Act that were introduced on a non-statutory basis.
231. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the proposals his Department or a body under its aegis are currently considering with regard to reforming the capital asset test for the student grant scheme; his views on whether he believes the capital asset test for student grant entitlement requires reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24215/16]
View answerI recently published the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education and, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, I am referring the report to the relevant Oireachtas Education Committee for its consideration.
The report of the expert group clearly outlines the funding challenges across the higher education sector. The report analyses the current situation including the existing supports for students and sets out a number of approaches and recommendations for consideration. The report points out that the current means testing arrangements only consider income and take no account of capital, assets or accumulated wealth. The Oireachtas Education Committee will analyse all of the options presented in the expert group report.
The current system of student supports is underpinned by the Student Support Act, 2011. It is my intention to initiate a review of this legislation later this year to identify areas where the Act needs to be updated to reflect the changes that have taken place in Irish society in 2011 and also to ensure that our system of student supports is targeted effectively at those most in need. All relevant issues will be considered as part of this review.
232. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans or proposals to reduce the current five-year residency requirement for asylum seekers and refugees to be eligible for third level under the free fees scheme; and if he will reduce the residency requirement to three years for asylum seekers and refugees. [24216/16]
View answerUnder the terms of the Department's free fees scheme, the Exchequer through the Department meets the cost of tuition fees for full-time undergraduate students who meet the terms of the scheme. To qualify for these schemes prospective students have to meet a number of criteria including nationality and residency including a requirement that a student must have been living in an EEA member state or Switzerland three out of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.
Where students do not meet the terms of the free fees schemes it is the higher education institutions that determine, in accordance with their own criteria, the rate of tuition fees (EU or non EU) to be paid by such students.
The Deputy may also be referring to the Pilot Scheme that was introduced in 2015/16 for students who are in the Protection System or at the Leave to Remain (but not deportation order) stage. This is a separate initiative to the Free Fees Scheme. The pilot scheme is intended to provide supports to qualifying students which are similar to those available in the statutory based Student Grant Scheme.
I announced the continuation of the Pilot Support Scheme for those in the protection system for 2016/17. The "five year time rule", which is in line with the recommendations of the Working Group chaired by Dr. Bryan McMahon, will continue to apply for 2016/17. There are no plans to remove this requirement.
233. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the proposal to provide upgraded or new accommodation for a school (details supplied); when this project will proceed to the next stage; the likely timescale for the provision of this accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24225/16]
View answerThe major building project for the school in question is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents.
The design team will submit the stage 2(b) report to the Department when it is completed and the Department will revert to the school with regard to the further progression of the project following consideration of that report.
234. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills to reconsider an application for an extra classroom by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24233/16]
View answer235. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills to allocate funding for a temporary prefabricated building for use as emergency accommodation and to prioritise an application for an extra classroom in 2017 for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24234/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together.
I can confirm that my Department has received an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. In the assessment of the application, my Department will take account of a recent additional teaching post approved for the school. A decision will be conveyed to the school authority when the assessment process is completed.
My Department has no record of receiving an application for temporary accommodation from the school.
236. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills to increase the SNA allocation to a school (details supplied) which currently has inadequate SNA support for the 2016-17 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24235/16]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special needs assistants (SNA) supports. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, which are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014 and are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2016/17 school year by 29 February 2016. The NCSE also continues to accept applications after that date, in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
I announced on 14 June, 2016 that 860 additional Special Needs Assistants will be available for allocation to schools from September 2016, which is a 7% increase on the existing availability.
This will bring the total number of Special Needs Assistants to 12,900 at a total gross annual cost of €425 million. This increase reflects the growing participation of children with Special Needs in education and will support their full participation and progression within the educational system.
The NCSE advised all schools of their allocations for SNA support for the coming 2016/17 school year on 14 June, 2016. Details of the allocations which have been made to schools have now been published on www.ncse.ie.
It should be noted that SNA allocations are not made to individual children, but are made to schools to support the care needs of children with assessed special educational needs in the school.
Where a school wishes to appeal the SNA allocation which has been made to them, they may do so through the NCSE appeal process, details of which are set out at www.ncse.ie. The option to invoke the NCSE appeals process is open to the school/parent in question, but to no appeal has been received by the NCSE up to June 2016.
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 the NCSE website.
237. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills to honour the commitment made by Minister of State, Deputy John Halligan, that all concessionary students will be accommodated on school buses; if he will address specifically the concessionary students availing of the service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24249/16]
View answerIn general, children are eligible for school transport if they are attending their nearest school and satisfy the requisite distance criteria.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only.
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 impact on children who are eligible for school transport.
238. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of FOI requests received by his Department to date in 2016; the number of requests fully refused; and the number of requests partially refused. [24280/16]
View answerThe information as requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.:
|
Number of FOI requests received by the Department of Education and Skills to date in 2016 |
Number of FOI requests refused to date in 2016 |
Number of FOI requests part granted to date in 2016 |
|
266 |
46 |
67 |
239. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of miles claimed for and the travel expenses paid to him and each Minister of State in his Department in respect of their functions as a Minister in his Department between 1 January 2016 and 10 March 2016; between 11 March 2016 and 6 May 2016; and since 7 May 2016. [24295/16]
View answerThe following tabular statement gives details of the travel expenses paid to the Minister and the Minister of State at the Department from January 2016 to date:
Ms. Jan O Sullivan
Minister for Education and Skills
|
Period |
No. of Kms Claimed |
Amount |
|
December to May 2016 |
13,034 |
€5,709.84 |
Mr. Damien English, T.D.
Minister of State
|
Period |
No of Kms Claimed |
Amount |
|
1 – 31 January 2016 |
3777 |
€2,231.07 |
|
1 - 29 February 2016 |
Nil |
Nil |
|
1 – 31 March 2016 |
2048 |
€1,209.75 |
|
1 – 30 April 2016 |
3331 |
€1,135.34 |
|
1 – 6 May 2016 |
573 |
€163.08 |
Mr. John Halligan, T.D.
Minister of State.
|
Period |
No. of Kms Claimed |
Amount |
|
19 – 31 May 2016 |
2028 |
€793.35 |
|
1 – 30 June 2016 |
2963 |
€1,159.13 |
240. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the name, position and annual salary awarded to his special advisers; to provide details for requests, if any, for an increase above the special advisers' pay cap as set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24312/16]
View answerUnder the terms of the Guidelines for the appointment of ministerial appointees for the 32nd Dáil as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform I have appointed 2 Special Advisers, namely Mr. Conor Quinn and Mr. Patrick Cluskey. While their appointments have not been formally approved at this time their respective salaries will be within the pay scales for the position as laid down by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
In accordance with the terms of the Ethics Acts a copy of their respective contracts of employment will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
