Written Replies Nos. 488 to 513
488. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if minor works grants will be paid to primary schools in autumn 2016; if there is a specific budget line in budget 2016 to cover the cost of paying minor works grants and the sum allocated; the amount which will be paid to schools in various pupil enrolment number categories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26018/16]
View answerThe normal practice is for the Minor Works Grant to be announced late in the year if funding permits. The issue of the Minor Works Grant 2016/2017 will be considered in the context of my Department's overall capital position later this year.
Under my Department's Circular Letter 0062/2013 the rate of payment of the Minor Works Grant is a basic grant of €5,500 to all primary schools plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per special needs pupil on the rolls on the 30 September of the year prior to the issue of the grant. The €74 rate applies to a special needs pupil attending a special school or attending a special class attached to a mainstream school.
489. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when an application in respect of a person (details supplied) for an exemption from Irish will be assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26020/16]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology services to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention. If the parents of the child, the subject of this question, have specific concerns relating to eligibility for an exemption form Irish then I would advise in the first instance that they speak to the Principal of the school with a view to him/her raising these concerns with the assigned NEPS psychologist.
490. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if extra resources will be provided to tackle the backlog in carrying out assessments of language exemptions in primary and post primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26021/16]
View answerUnder Departmental circular 12/96 at primary school level the authority to grant exemptions from the study of Irish has been delegated to school management. As decisions on Irish exemptions are taken at school level my Department is not aware of a backlog in respect of the processing of these applications.
In general as it would be expected that the school is familiar with the student's circumstances it should be in a position to make a decision in a timely manner as to whether the student meets the criteria for an exemption or not.
In respect of applications for exemptions on the grounds of specific learning disability or a general learning disability a psychological report and/or medical report would be required to support the application. A delay in obtaining such a report may delay the lodgement of an application until such time as the relevant report becomes available.
The provision of medical reports is outside of both the control of either the school or my Department. In respect of psychological reports the requirement is that this report is provided by a qualified psychologist within two years of the date of the exemption application.
The Deputy may be aware that that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment.
This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
If parents have specific concerns relating to the assessment of their children I would advise in the first instance that they speak to the Principal of the school(s) concerned with a view to raising these concerns with the assigned NEPS psychologist.
I can inform the Deputy that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits that my Department will invest additional resources in the National Educational Psychological Service to ensure earlier intervention and access for young children and teenagers and to offer immediate support to schools in cases of critical incidents. The Programme commits to bring the total number of NEPS psychologists to 238 from the current sanctioned limit of 173.
491. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills when grants will be paid to secondary schools for the procurement of new equipment and the updating of existing equipment as part of the digital strategy; the communication processes in place with schools around this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26024/16]
View answerThe new Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 (Enhancing Teaching, Learning & Assessment), launched in October 2015, sets out a clear vision for the role of ICT in teaching, learning and assessment in primary and post primary schools. The Strategy is focused on realising the potential of digital technologies to transform the learning experiences of students by helping them become engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors and global citizens who participate fully in society and the economy.
The Strategy recognises that schools require public investment in their ICT equipment and infrastructure and accordingly a fund of €210 million to support the implementation of this Strategy has been committed beginning with an investment of €30 million in the current school year (2016/2017) rising to €50m annually towards the end of the Strategy. Oversight and consultative structures for the implementation of the strategy are currently being finalised and my Department will be in communication with schools on its progress.
492. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the progress of a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26035/16]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6-year Construction Programme.
My Department is currently exploring potential options in relation to the identification of a suitable permanent site for the school. My Department has been in contact with the school and will continue to liaise with them in that regard.
493. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills to list all vacancies on State boards or governing bodies under his control that existed on 26 February 2016 and all vacancies that have arisen since then, including the date the positions became vacant; the names of those appointed since the Government was formed; if the positions were advertised and a short list provided to him by the Public Appointments Service, PAS; if the appointments were approved by the Cabinet; the positions under his control which are not subject to the PAS system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26081/16]
View answerA consolidated set of comprehensive information in regard to board appointments on the 18 non commercial agencies under the aegis of my Department is available on our website at http://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Agencies/Details-of-Membership-of-State-Boards/Board-Members.pdf.
The information is current to end August and is updated regularly by the Department.
The Deputy's queries are encompassed within this set of information.
The Deputy should note that while Board appointments are made by me as Minister, they are not in all cases made at my discretion. Individuals may be nominated for appointments by various organisations arising from the terms in the relevant statutes of the Body concerned.
Details in regard to governing bodies are in the process of being compiled. The Department will endeavour to supply this information to the Deputy as soon as possible.
494. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reduce the costs of primary, secondary and third level education for families and students here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26113/16]
View answerThe Government has just launched the first Action Plan for Education aimed at making the Irish education and training service the best in Europe by 2026. This plan, which incorporates my Department's Strategy Statement as well as the Action Plan for Education outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented across 2016-2019. Some of the actions as part of the plan are to strengthen the focus on reducing school costs for parents by:
- Restoring capitation funding over a three-year period as resources permit
- Increasing the financial support for book rental schemes, in order to reduce/eliminate school book costs for parents
- Place a requirement within a Parents and Learners Charter for Schools to take account of the views of their parental communities when making decisions on matters that have a financial impact for parents
- Issue a new circular to school authorities and ETBs regarding school uniform policy and other costs and the need to put a greater emphasis on reducing the cost of school uniforms and other costs.
In relation to supports at third level, my Department currently provides various supports to alloy some of the costs of going to college for students and their family's such as the Student Grant Scheme, Pilot Support Scheme and Student Assistance Fund. The Programme for Government contains commitments in respect of lone parents and post-graduate students. The options for progressing these two commitments are currently under consideration within the context of overall budgetary constraints, and the large number of competing demands for available funding.
495. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projects his Department is prioritising in budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26114/16]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits the Government to working with the Oireachtas to increase expenditure on public services in order to meet the rising costs of demographics and to make targeted improvements in public services, including education, having regard to economic growth forecasts and adherence to fiscal rules.
The context in which budgetary decisions for 2017 will be made were set out by the Government in the two key documents: the Summer Economic Statement and the Mid-Year Expenditure Report, which among other things, outline the available fiscal space and highlight the range of competing expenditure pressures across Government.
The Mid Year Expenditure Report confirms that an increase of €103 million has been allowed in my Department's 2017 expenditure ceiling to meet certain demographic pressures, the full year costs of some 600 additional Resources Teachers to be recruited from September 2016, and the full year costs of staffing schedule improvements announced in Budget 2016. It also confirms that approximately €130 million will be allocated to provide for the costs of the Lansdowne Road Agreement in the education sector.
Beyond this, my aim for Budget 2017 and subsequent years will be to seek to progressively deliver on the education and training commitments set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the Confidence and Supply Arrangement and my Department's new Strategy Statement and Action Plan for Education 2016-2019, subject to the availability of resources.
I also look forward to engaging with the Joint Committee on Education and Skills, which will be meeting on 29 September to consider Budget 2017, to hear their recommendations on expenditure priorities.
496. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills why persons (details supplied) are being denied school transport; why their special educational needs and the impact that uprooting them from their current school would have on their development and education are not being taken into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26146/16]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country, covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
In general, children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream or special school that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills' criteria.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
In this case, it has been reported that the school referred to by Deputy does not represent the nearest school to the home of the children referred to by the Deputy that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills criteria.
The children mentioned in this case are therefore not eligible for school transport to the school referred to under the terms of the school transport scheme.
The terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs are applied equitably on a national basis.
497. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timescale for the inclusion of physical education as a leaving certificate exam subject. [26153/16]
View answerTwo subject developments for Physical Education (PE) are now being finalised: 1) A Senior Cycle Framework for PE - non-examinable. 2) Leaving Certificate PE - an examinable subject for Leaving Certificate.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) intends to have a complete Senior Cycle Physical Education Framework specification in the examinable subject by Q4 2016.
Once the finalised subject specification is approved by my Department, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) will be provided for teachers before implementation in schools.
498. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for funding by a school (details supplied) for additional accommodation to alleviate serious overcrowding in classrooms which were provided in 1950; and if he will expedite a positive response. [26159/16]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for additional accommodation. A decision will be conveyed to the school as soon as the application has been assessed.
499. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will examine the number of pupils who had school transport to a school (details supplied) and who have now been refused school transport; the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused; if he will arrange for the old service to be restored as this new arrangement threatens the future of this school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26160/16]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country, covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for school transport and may only avail of school transport on a concessionary basis.
Seats for concessionary applicants are allocated after all eligible children have been accommodated on school transport services. This exercise normally takes place after the closing date for receipt of payments. Existing concessionary children and their siblings are given priority in the distribution of spare seats. Where seats are limited the random selection process is used.
Bus Éireann has further advised that there has been no change in the service operating into this school for the 2016/17 school year. Five children, including the child in question, were not issued with tickets for this school year as their payments were received late, by which time all available seats had been allocated.
500. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the school bus arrangements for students attending school in Kilkenny City from Inistioge and Thomastown, County Kilkenny; and if a direct service will be provided for a school (details supplied) as seems to be the arrangement for other schools. [26161/16]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country, covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.
Families who wish to avail of school transport and have their eligibility status assessed should, in the first instance, apply for school transport at buseireann.ie.
501. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who completed the leaving certificate in a school (details supplied) in 2016; and the number who went on to further education. [26171/16]
View answerIt is desirable that parents and the public in general have information about schools that is meaningful, fair and fully rounded. Data on school retention and progression to further education in respect of individual schools or local areas are not provided by my Department as these could be used to create statistical comparisons that take account of only one dimension of school performance and outcomes and do not adjust for the varying social and educational background of students entering these schools as well as the range of learning outcomes not captured in measures of examination performance or school completion. In the absence of a broader range of outcomes such comparisons could therefore impact in a negative way for schools in disadvantaged areas.
The most recent data available on retention rates of pupils at post primary level, which contains a breakdown by local authority area is available on my Department's website at http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Statistical-Reports/Retention-Rates-of-Pupils-in-Second-Level-Schools-2009-Cohort.pdf. This report refers to the pupils who entered the post-primary system in 2009 and would have sat their Leaving Certificate in 2014 or 2015.
Data on the progression of pupils from post-primary to other destinations including further education is available at http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Statistical-Reports/School-Completers-What-Next-2016-Report-.pdf.
502. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the outstanding recommendations of the joint Oireachtas committee report on tackling school costs published in 2013 to be implemented by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26206/16]
View answerMy Department's approach to reducing school costs for parents is set out in the Action Plan for Education that has just been published.
This plan, which incorporates my Department's Strategy Statement as well as the Action Plan for Education outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented across 2016-2019. Some of the actions as part of the plan are to strengthen the focus on reducing school costs for parents by:
- Restoring capitation funding over a three-year period as resources permit.
- Increasing the financial support for book rental schemes, in order to reduce/eliminate school book costs for parents.
- Placing a requirement within a Parents and Learners Charter for Schools to take account of the views of their parental communities when making decisions on matters that have a financial impact for parents.
- Issuing a new circular to school authorities and ETBs regarding school uniform policy and other costs and the need to put a greater emphasis on reducing the cost of school uniforms and other costs.
503. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding allocated each year since 2006 to the school book rental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26209/16]
View answerMy Department provides funding to schools to support the operation of school book rental schemes.
The most recent figures available at primary level indicate that 95% of primary schools operate a book rental scheme.
The most recent figures available at second level indicate that 65% of second level schools operate book rental schemes.
The table following gives a breakdown of funding provided by my Department for the operation of school book rental schemes to primary schools for the period from 2006 to 2016 and for post-primary schools for the period from 2009 to 2016. The breakdown for book grant funding at post-primary level is not readily available for the period 2006 to 2008.
Post Primary Schools Book Grant
|
Year |
Total Standard Book Grant Paid |
|
2009 |
€3,195,671 |
|
2010 |
€7,801,046 |
|
2011 |
€7,968,084 |
|
2012 |
€8,085,243 |
|
2013 |
€8,273,229 |
|
2014 |
€8,410,203 |
|
2015 |
€8,610,096 |
|
2016 |
€8,747,325 |
Primary Schools Book Grant
|
Year |
Amount Standard Book Grant Paid |
Seed Capital for Books |
Total for Books paid |
|
2006 |
€5,493,959 |
- |
€5,493,959 |
|
2007 |
€6,324,253 |
- |
€6,324,253 |
|
2008 |
€6,466,426 |
- |
€6,466,426 |
|
2009 |
€3,810,000 |
- |
€3,810,000 |
|
2010 |
€6,870,617 |
- |
€6,870,617 |
|
2011 |
€6,906,112 |
- |
€6,906,112 |
|
2012 |
€6,980,684 |
- |
€6,980,684 |
|
2013 |
€7,090,319 |
- |
€7,090,319 |
|
2014 |
€7,198,663 |
€4,996,160 |
€12,194,823 |
|
2015 |
€7,295,476 |
€5,489,790 |
€12,785,266 |
|
2016 |
€7,394,194 |
€5,281,730 |
€12,675,924 |
504. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number and percentage of schools per county that avail of funding to provide a school book rental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26210/16]
View answerMy Department provides funding to schools to support the operation of school book rental schemes.
The most recent figures available at primary level indicate that 95% of primary schools operate a book rental scheme.
The most recent figures available at second level indicate that 65% of second level schools operate book rental schemes.
The following table provides a breakdown of the number and percentage of primary and post-primary schools per county that provide a School Book Rental Scheme.
Schools by County that have Book Rental Scheme
Primary Schools
|
County |
Schools with book rental |
% of schools within county with Book Rental |
|
Carlow |
44 |
100% |
|
Cavan |
72 |
95% |
|
Clare |
108 |
95% |
|
Cork |
341 |
95% |
|
Donegal |
166 |
94% |
|
Dublin |
441 |
89% |
|
Galway |
224 |
94% |
|
Kerry |
127 |
94% |
|
Kildare |
99 |
94% |
|
Kilkenny |
74 |
95% |
|
Laois |
63 |
94% |
|
Leitrim |
38 |
100% |
|
Limerick |
135 |
94% |
|
Longford |
37 |
97% |
|
Louth |
73 |
97% |
|
Mayo |
161 |
96% |
|
Meath |
108 |
92% |
|
Monaghan |
60 |
97% |
|
Offaly |
65 |
96% |
|
Roscommon |
86 |
93% |
|
Sligo |
66 |
96% |
|
Tipperary |
150 |
94% |
|
Waterford |
74 |
96% |
|
Westmeath |
73 |
95% |
|
Wexford |
102 |
96% |
|
Wicklow |
82 |
95% |
Post-Primary Schools
|
County |
Schoolswith book rental |
% of schools within county with Book Rental |
|
Carlow |
10 |
91% |
|
Cavan |
9 |
75% |
|
Clare |
11 |
61% |
|
Cork |
53 |
60% |
|
Donegal |
20 |
74% |
|
Dublin |
71 |
37% |
|
Galway |
42 |
67% |
|
Kerry |
21 |
81% |
|
Kildare |
11 |
41% |
|
Kilkenny |
8 |
50% |
|
Laois |
6 |
67% |
|
Leitrim |
7 |
100% |
|
Limerick |
13 |
48% |
|
Longford |
7 |
78% |
|
Louth |
12 |
63% |
|
Mayo |
18 |
67% |
|
Meath |
17 |
77% |
|
Monaghan |
11 |
85% |
|
Offaly |
10 |
91% |
|
Roscommon |
3 |
38% |
|
Sligo |
9 |
64% |
|
Tipperary |
23 |
74% |
|
Waterford |
7 |
39% |
|
Westmeath |
12 |
80% |
|
Wexford |
13 |
59% |
|
Wicklow |
12 |
52% |
505. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the capital spend for 2015 and to date in 2016 in areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26211/16]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is provided in the following table.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2015 and JANUARY TO 31st AUGUST 2016 (identified under specific headings)
|
SUB-PROGRAMMES |
2015 |
2016 |
|
TOTAL |
Jan - Aug |
|
|
(€m) |
(€m) |
|
|
LARGE SCALE PROJECTS |
302.526 |
202.453 |
|
SITE PURCHASES |
12.956 |
24.373 |
|
ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION |
80.978 |
40.179 |
|
PREFAB REPLACEMENT SCHEME |
5.742 |
1.875 |
|
EMERGENCY WORKS |
15.807 |
10.002 |
|
FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT |
9.148 |
5.938 |
|
SUMMER WORKS SCHEME |
38.918 |
16.721 |
|
MINOR WORKS GRANT |
28.731 |
0.011 |
|
ETB HQ ACCOMMODATION |
1.852 |
0.000 |
|
MISCELLANEOUS |
2.104 |
1.127 |
|
EDUCATION CENTRES |
0.000 |
0.000 |
|
CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS |
7.648 |
0.000 |
|
THIRD LEVEL PPP COSTS |
18.744 |
12.051 |
|
FURTHER EDUCATION |
3.000 |
2.000 |
|
RESEARCH |
37.600 |
17.363 |
|
SCHOOLS ICT PROGRAMME |
0.675 |
0.109 |
|
WIRELESS NETWORK INVESTMENT FOR SCHOOLS |
0.000 |
0.000 |
|
THIRD LEVEL EQUIPMENT & MINOR WORKS |
12.000 |
0.000 |
|
THIRD LEVEL CAPITAL PROJECTS |
40.639 |
5.252 |
|
TOTAL |
619.070 |
339.454 |
506. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if student grant assistance is currently provided to students at some private third level institutions; if so, the names of the institutions concerned; the value of the assistance provided; the rationale for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26212/16]
View answerUnder my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme.
The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2016. Section 7 further defines the matters that the Minister for Education and Skills can consider when prescribing an educational institution as being an approved institution. These matters include the following:
- whether the institution receives one or more than one payment out of moneys made available by the Oireachtas and the amount of the payment;
- the policy of the institution in relation to access to education in the institution by economically or socially disadvantaged persons, by persons who have a disability and by persons from sections of society significantly under represented in the student body;
- the courses and facilities offered or intended to be offered to students by the institution;
- whether prior to the commencement of this section, the institution was an institution which, in respect of its courses, grants were made available pursuant to a scheme administered by a local authority or a vocational education committee whereby grants were provided to students to assist them in attending those courses;
- whether the institution is established for the principal purposes of higher education, training and research and operated and managed on a basis other than for financial gain;
- the requirement for the development of skills and knowledge in sectors of the economy or employment identified as requiring such development of skills and knowledge following advice received by the Minister from such person who has an interest or expertise in educational matters or the development of skills and knowledge as the Minister considers appropriate to consult for that advice;
- resources available for the provision of student support;
- any other matters which in the opinion of the Minister are proper matters to be taken into account having regard to the objective of enabling persons to attend courses of higher or further education, the need to maintain educational standards and the contribution that the institution is making to higher education in the State.
The full list of approved institutions is set out in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2015.
507. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding that has been provided each year since 2006 for the provision of special educational needs organisers and senior special educational needs organisers. [26213/16]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Needs Organisers (SENOs), for fulfilling the functions of the Council within a designated area in relation to the identification of and delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with disabilities.
The Council employs SENOs to provide a nationwide system of local services. Locally based SENOs consult widely with parents/guardians, teachers, health care professionals, school authorities, HSE and other relevant government agencies.
There are currently 80 employees in the SENO grades in the NCSE. These include 1 Senior SENO Manager, 9 Senior SENOs and 69 SENOs.
Since 2014, the number of SENO posts have increased from 67 to 69 while the NCSE's SENO management structure was strengthened in 2014, with the creation of a new professional post of Senior SENO Manager to directly manage the SENO grades. The NCSE are currently in the process of filling a SENO position which will increase the total number of SENO posts to 81 in 2016.
The NCSE will respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the information sought.
508. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the report on science, technology, engineering and maths, STEM, has been completed; when he intends to publish same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26214/16]
View answerI have recently received the final report of the STEM Education Review Group. I intend to submit the report to Government shortly and it will then be published. I also intend to then refer the report to the relevant Oireachtas Committee and request that the recommendations contained in the report be reviewed in line with the commitment given in the Programme for Government.
509. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the report commissioned by his Department on barriers to education for lone parents has been completed; when he will publish same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26215/16]
View answerThe review on barriers to higher education for lone parents is currently being finalised. The review is expected to be completed in Q.3 2016. The issue of publication date will be considered after the completed review has been made available to my Department.
510. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the outstanding recommendations of the report completed by the Higher Education Authority in respect of student accommodation in September 2015 to be implemented by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26216/16]
View answerAlleviating the housing crisis is a cross-Government priority and the available analysis indicates that the lack of suitable rental accommodation for students is driving up rents in the private rental sector, particularly in areas where demand for rental property is high. This is contributing to what we know is already a considerable strain on some students and their families to participate in higher education with knock-on effects on completion rates. The reality is that dealing comprehensively with this issue will only take place as part of a more general programme to address the major housing and homelessness issue.
Accordingly, my colleague Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, yesterday (19 July 2016) published "Rebuilding Ireland – an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness", following Government approval of this comprehensive and ambitious Plan. The full plan can be accessed at: http://rebuildingireland.ie/Rebuilding%20Ireland_Action%20Plan.pdf.
My Department worked closely with the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in developing this Plan, with a specific focus on student accommodation, and the following measures detailed in the Plan are directly relevant to this issue:
(i) The Department of Education and Skills in conjunction with a number of other key stakeholders will prepare and publish a national student accommodation strategy, which will set out a broad framework for delivery of an enhanced level of accommodation and which will inform local authority housing strategies and the land management process in general, in order to provide suitably located and affordable sites. This will be prepared with a view to developing a national policy on specific needs and mechanisms for the development of appropriate on-campus and off-campus student accommodation.
(ii) My Department will work with stakeholders to prioritise and progress viable projects to provide additional student accommodation in key urban areas. This will be done with a view to bringing on stream proposals capable of delivering an additional 7,000 student accommodation places by end 2019, on or off campus, in addition to projects already committed to.
(iii) Dedicated delivery structures, such as Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) will be established in the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) sector to access Housing Finance Agency (HFA) funding, and complete any required policy, regulatory or legislative changes necessary. This will be done with a view to providing additional funding mechanisms for the HEI sector, in conjunction with the HFA.
(iv) The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government will help to fund a Student Housing Officer to work with the Union of Students in Ireland, local authorities, AHBs and housing providers, to identify and expand short-term capacity enhancing measures in the student accommodation sector. This will be done with a view to assisting students in finding appropriate accommodation.
(v) Funding mechanisms will be established for Institutes of Technology to support the development of their student accommodation capacity. This is to facilitate the Institute of Technology sector in developing their potential for on-campus student accommodation through addressing current borrowing capacity and funding constraints.
(vi) The Department of Housing Planning and Local Government in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills will carry out an assessment of scope for provision of additional student accommodation on local authority or other publicly-owned lands with a view to maximising the potential for student accommodation provision on suitable sites as part of mixed developments.
(vii) The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government will enable student accommodation projects for 100 units or more to go straight to An Bord Pleanála, as well as maximise the opportunities for joint venture projects on local authority sites to proceed through the Part 8 process and prepare guidance on planning policies around student accommodation developments. This will be done to enhance certainty and reduce delivery timescales and costs associated with bringing student accommodation proposals forward.
I very much welcome the commitments contained in the plan and I look forward to working with colleagues on a cross-Departmental basis to ensure that the commitments contained in the Plan are implemented as soon as practicable.
In addition to this, I should point out that a number of our Higher Education Institutions have Student Accommodation projects ongoing, or in the pipeline, with a number of additional on-campus Student Accommodation bed-spaces coming online from September 2016. Maynooth University have 296 new on-campus bed spaces, and UCD have 350 new on-campus bed spaces, which came on stream for the commencement of the 2016/17 academic year. Six other Higher Education Institutions are currently engaged in, or going through the planning phases for student accommodation projects, namely National University of Ireland Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, Dublin City University, University College Cork and Dublin Institute of Technology.
The Actions in the Plan in relation to Student Accommodation build on the report, Student Accommodation: Demand & Supply, which was published last year by the Minister for Education and Skills. The full report can be accessed at http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Education-Reports/Report-on-Student-Accommodation-Demand-and-Supply.pdf.
The previous Minister for Education and Skills introduced two immediate actions following the publication of this report.
Firstly, funding was provided by the HEA to the Union of Students' (USI) in Ireland to progress short-term solutions for students in need of accommodation. This funding will allow USI to develop their homes.usi.ie website, to communicate more effectively to student and homeowners, and to carry out research into this important issue.
Secondly, the establishment of an inter-departmental steering group to examine the recommendations contained in the HEA Report and to provide a coordinating mechanism to ensure that the higher education institutions have access to information on new potential funding and delivery models.
There were 13 recommendations contained in the HEA Report on Student Accommodation and the current position in respect of all of the recommendations is as follows:
1. Encourage and support the take-up of the rent-a-room scheme by homeowners in areas adjacent to higher education institutions.
Action: Funding of €30,000 was provided to Union of Students in Ireland (USI) by the HEA to fund their #HomesForStudy campaign. While the campaign is still ongoing until the end of September 2016, USI is confident that at least 1,700 students will access accommodation directly as a result of the campaign. A full report will be completed following the end of the campaign.
2. Ensure continued flexibility by local authorities on application of guidelines for the specification of student accommodation.
3. Ensure the requirement for student accommodation is considered as part of the reviews of Development Plans by Local Authorities.
4. Local Authorities to consider the use of the Vacant Land Levy, provided for in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015 to increase the supply of land that could potentially be used for the development of student accommodation in our cities.
Action: These 3 recommendations are all related to Planning and Development. These issues are being taken forward as part of the "Rebuilding Ireland" Action Plan and is specifically referenced in point (vii) above. Furthermore, new planning policy guidance was issued to local authorities and An Bord Pleanála on the use of student accommodation complexes outside of the academic year, as their use during these periods provides a potential additional income stream, thereby aiding the overall viability of these projects. This was contained in Circular PL 8/2016 APH 2/2016 which issued from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government on 28 July 2016, a copy of which has been forwarded to the Deputy.
5. Explore, with relevant stakeholders, the potential for joint initiatives involving HEIs and an approved housing agency to deliver student accommodation places.
Action: This recommendation was examined by the Inter-Departmental Steering Group on Student Accommodation and is being taken forward as part of the "Rebuilding Ireland" Action Plan and is specifically referenced in point (iv) above. The HFA have met individually with most of the Universities over the course of the past 2 months and officials in my Department are currently in discussion with officials in the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in relation to the legislative requirements and other matters related to this measure.
6. Consider the provision of a capital grant specifically for HEI's development of student accommodation for a fixed period of time.
Action: This recommendation is being taken forward as part of the "Rebuilding Ireland" Action Plan and is specifically referenced in point (v) above.
7. Consider the potential to deliver future projects through a PPP financing model.
Action: This measure is currently being examined by the Inter-Departmental steering group on student accommodation.
8. The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) sees Student Accommodation as an area of investment consistent with its dual bottom line mandate of commercial investment with economic impact. ISIF to continue to engage with Higher Education Institutions to develop financing solutions for on-campus accommodation and with private sector developers for potential off-campus investments.
9. Consult with NAMA, on a commercial basis, regarding the availability of suitable properties and land that could be used for student accommodation developments either by individual HEIs or HEIs working on joint projects.
Action: In relation to these two recommendations, ISIF are now involved in the provision of funding to the development of a number of Student Accommodation projects in HEIs. Furthermore, the Head of Infrastructure and Credit Investments in ISIF and the Heads of Public Affairs and the Docklands SDZ in NAMA gave presentations to an information session specifically in relation to student accommodation which was arranged by my Department and took place on Friday 27 November 2015. All HEI's, representative bodies for the sectors (Irish Universities Association and Institutes of Technology Ireland) a number of Government Departments and other relevant stakeholders were in attendance at this information session and a number of follow-up meetings and conversations took place between relevant parties arising from this information session.
10. Consideration to be given to tax measures to develop on-campus accommodation for HEIs.
Action: This measure is currently being examined by the Inter-Departmental steering group on student accommodation.
11. It is recommended that any future developments should comply with the recommendations for enabled access as published by the Department of the Environment. HEIs should consult with relevant stakeholders including students with disabilities on adaptation of existing stock and design for new builds.
Action: This measure will be taken forward individually by each HEI as part of the development of their future plans for student accommodation bed spaces on campus.
12. HEIs should consider allocating up to 10% of new bed spaces for students with disabilities to allow for likely increased demand by these students.
Action: This recommendation has been communicated to each HEI. Each HEI has their own separate allocation policies and procedures for the allocation of on campus student accommodation bed spaces which includes the allocation of student accommodation to students with disabilities.
13. The Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE) should be expanded to include relevant questions on student residences to enable research to be carried out on student preferences for accommodation and related issues.
Action: This matter is on the Agenda for discussion by the plenary group for the ISSE who examine potential future questions for inclusion in the ISSE.
511. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has ever issued guidelines to schools on uniform policy and specifically on the provision of generic school uniforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26217/16]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. However, I am keen to keep back to school costs as low as possible for parents. In late 2013, as part of an initiative in this area, schools were requested to ballot parents on school uniform policy. This move was aimed at giving parents a say on what, if any, uniforms a school should have and, in turn, to tackle the high costs of some uniforms.
In keeping with the DES Action and Strategy Statement just released, the Department does plan to issue a new Circular to school authorities and ETBs regarding school uniform policy, and the need to put a greater emphasis on the need to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs. The views of the National Parent Councils and other partners will be considered and will feed into the development of the Circular. This Action is slated for Q4 2016-Q1 2017.
My objective is to empower parents to have a greater say in their children's school uniform policy, thereby allowing for the maximum choice and diversity. The Parents and Learners Charter will allow for consultation about this and other matters.
512. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has ever issued guidelines to schools on the issue of voluntary contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26218/16]
View answerVoluntary contributions by parents are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition.
The manner in which voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school managemen. However their collection should not be such as to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character.
If parents have a concern that there is some compulsion regarding contributions in a school, they can bring the matter to the attention of my Department who will follow up with the school in question.
Apart from those recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised primary and post primary schools are precluded from charging school fees. No charge may be made in respect of instruction in any subject of the school curriculum or for recreation or other activities where all pupils are expected to take part.
However, it is permissible for a school to seek payments in respect of extra-curricular activities provided such activities are not obligatory and individual pupils can choose whether or not to participate. My Department's Circular 0065/2010 clarifies certain charges that may be legitimately requested from pupils.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, which was published on 6th July 2016, contains a provision prohibiting the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to a school or for the enrolment or continued enrolment of a student in a school.
I believe that schools need to be accountable to parents and we need greater levels of communication, engagement and transparency in how schools serve their communities. Better information for parents, including information in relation to the collection and use of voluntary contributions, is an issue that I will be looking at in the context of my Department's work on developing plans for a Parents' and Students' Charter.
513. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will establish clear guidelines with SUSI on the issue of estrangement for the purposes of the student grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26219/16]
View answerCases of genuine estrangement are relatively rare and will almost always involve exceptional circumstances unique to a particular family situation. The scheme does not stipulate precisely how an awarding authority satisfies itself that such circumstances prevail. This is to allow the awarding authority sufficient flexibility to assess the evidence of irrevocable estrangement in each individual case.
It is difficult to legislate for all possible scenarios that can lead to genuine estrangement cases. Guidelines as to how students can demonstrate estrangement will, by their very nature, restrict the assessment of estrangement cases to those that fall within these guidelines. Such restrictions may not be in the best interest of students genuinely in this situation.
It is important that scarce public resources are targeted at those students who are genuinely in need.
