Written Answers Nos. 114-126
114. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of students in schools with DEIS status; the average class sizes and pupil-teacher ratio in schools with DEIS status, with specific reference to the average figures for schools with DEIS status in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27860/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that in the current school year (2016/2017) the DEIS School Support Programme provides support to 826 schools serving a total of 171,031 pupils.
There are 641 schools at primary level serving 103,630 pupils (116 of which are Urban DEIS Band 1 primary schools in Dublin and 44 of which are Urban DEIS Band 2 primary schools in Dublin). There are 185 post primary schools serving 67,401 pupils (57 of which are in Dublin).
The staffing arrangements for schools are published annually by my Department. Arrangements for the 2016/17 school year are set out in Department Circular 0007/2016 which is available on the Department's website.
The primary staffing schedule currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Lower thresholds apply to DEIS Band 1 schools, ranging from 20:1 in junior classes to 24:1 in senior classes.
My Department publishes annual statistics on class size data for each school. The most recent statistics are for the 2015/16 school year and are available on the Department’s website.
Post Primary DEIS schools currently have a Pupil Teacher Ratio of 17.95:1. The PTR in non-DEIS Post-Primary schools is 18.7:1.
Further information on the additional supports available to DEIS schools under the School Support Programme is set out below.
As the Deputy may be aware, a review of the DEIS programme is currently underway and, as I have recently announced, a New Action Plan for Educational Inclusion will be published before the end of this year.
Resources provided under the DEIS programme:
Resources for Band 1 Schools
- Reduced class sizes (A new dedicated staffing schedule applies to DEIS Band 1 primary schools from September 2012, with pupil teacher ratios of 20:1 in junior schools, 22:1 in vertical schools and 24:1 in senior schools)
- With effect from September 2012 DEIS Band 1 schools are given an allocation of 0.2 of a post, where the school has less than 200 students, and 0.4 of a post where the school has 200 or more students, additional to the mainstream provision of 0.2 of a post in all-boys & mixed school and 0.16 of a post in All-girls schools.
Resources for Band 1 and Band 2 Schools
- The appointment of an Administrative Principal in Band 1 schools is based on 116 pupils and in Band 2 schools is based on 144 pupils
- Access to Home/School/Community Liaison (HSCL) services
- Access to range of supports under School Completion Programme (SCP)
- Access to literacy/numeracy support service to specific literacy/numeracy measures
- Access to transfer programmes
Resources for Band 1, Band 2 and DEIS Rural schools
- Additional non-pay/capitation allocation based on level of disadvantage
- Additional funding under School Books Grant Scheme
- Access to Schools Meals Programme
- Access to planning supports
- Access to a range of professional development supports
Resources for DEIS Post-Primary schools
- From 2016/17 school year, all DEIS post-primary schools will be targeted for additional support through an improved staffing schedule of 17.95:1.
- DEIS grant paid based on level of disadvantage and enrolment
- Access to Home School Community Liaison services
- Access to Schools Meals Programme
- Access to range of supports under School Completion Programme
- Access to Junior Certificate Schools Programme
- Access to Leaving Certificate Applied Programme
- Access to planning supports
- Access to a range of professional development supports
- Additional funding under School Books Grant Scheme
Department of Education and Skills
27th September 2016
115. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay in responding to a query (details supplied) which was sent to his office six weeks ago; if he will provide a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27862/16]
View answerA response to the Deputy’s query issued recently.
I understand that the student referred to by the Deputy lodged an appeal with the Student Grants Appeals Board (SGAB) on 31st August 2016. The appeal will be heard within the 60 day timeframe set out in the Student Support Act, 2011. The decision of the SGAB will be communicated directly to the student in due course.
116. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a special needs assistant, SNA, and appropriate learning supports will be made available to a child (details supplied) with special educational needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27871/16]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including SNA support.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website at: www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.
Responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools to support individual pupils rests with the NCSE.
I am advised that the child to which the Deputy refers has an allocation of Low Incidence Teaching hours support and access to SNA support in the school to which she is enrolled.
Where a school wishes to appeal the SNA or resource teaching support 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 in question.
The local SENO is available to discuss any concerns that the school or parents may have about the present or future educational needs of the child. All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. Contact details are also available on the NCSE website at: www.ncse.ie.
117. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements in place to cover periods in schools where a special needs assistant, SNA, may not be available due to illness; his views on whether the absence of the SNA is not a health and safety issue and one that affects the special needs pupil adversely and therefore one that needs to be addressed urgently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27900/16]
View answerSpecial Needs Assistants (SNA) may be employed by recognised schools or Education and Training Boards.
The provision of SNA support is made through an independent process managed by the National Council for Special Education.
The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
The purpose of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme is to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.
Provision for substitute cover is made by my Department in all instances where an SNA is unable to perform his/her duties because of illness or injury.
118. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new building for a school (details supplied). [27908/16]
View answerI can confirm that a building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's six year construction programme.
This school project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site and this process is currently in train. The architectural planning process for the new school building will commence as soon as the site is secured. My Department will be in further contact with the school in this regard at that point.
119. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of additional accommodation for a college (details supplied). [27909/16]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's six year construction programme. In this regard, my Department has undertaken a site visit to the school in the context of initiating the preparatory work associated with advancing the project.
Pending completion of the project, my Department has approved funding to the school for interim temporary accommodation. This decision has been conveyed to the school.
120. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if all current members of the Higher Education Authority are ordinarily resident within the State; and if not, if they shall be disqualified from holding and shall cease to hold office pursuant to section 9 of the Schedule to the Higher Education Authority Act 1971. [27933/16]
View answerAll current members of the Board of the Higher Education Authority have been appointed in line with the terms of the Higher Education Authority Act, 1971. I selected the most recent appointees to the Board in July 2016, and all of those appointees had come through the State Board appointments process ran by the Public Appointments Service.
It should be noted that the legislation does not state that in order to be appointed to the Board a member must be ordinarily resident in the State.
121. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills when an issue concerning newly qualified teachers in their new posts will be resolved (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27959/16]
View answerThere are currently one hundred and two thousand salary and pension payments issued on a fortnightly basis by my Department to serving teachers and non teaching staff employed in primary, secondary and community/comprehensive schools and retired staff who previously served in these schools.
The serving teachers and non teaching staff paid on these payrolls are employed by the managerial authorities of approximately four thousand schools. All details for their payment are submitted by the managerial authorities and processed in my Department. The majority of new staff are appointed by the managerial authorities at the commencement of each school year. Due to the large volumes of appointments being submitted at the commencement of the school year some delays in processing may occur.
There are also legal obligations in relation to registration and vetting of newly qualified teachers as outlined in Circulars issued by my Department which must be complied with before salary can be paid.
I understand that there is an issue relating to access of registration details which can also result in delays of correct salary being paid to newly qualified teachers. Officials of my Department will liaise with the Teaching Council on the issue as soon as possible.
122. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which a higher education grant will be made available to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27983/16]
View answerAs part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications.
This service complements the established channels provided by SUSI which include online application tracking, a dedicated website, a telephone helpdesk, email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter.
Enquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. Staff in SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the
scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe.
123. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 243 of 18 May 2016, if there have been any cases where provision has been made for those retired from the community school sector to receive five years' enhancement as per technical and specialist civil servants on pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28008/16]
View answerMy Department is not aware of any case where provision has been made for those retired from the Community School sector to receive 5 years' enhancement as per technical and specialist civil servants on pension.
Public sector pension schemes by their nature have varying rules governing their administration. They are mainly statutory schemes, set up by or under Acts of the Oireachtas. Teachers in the Community School sector are members of The Secondary, Community and Comprehensive School Teachers Pension Scheme (S.I. No. 435 of 2009) while teachers in the Education and Training Boards are members of Education and Training Board Teachers Superannuation Scheme 2015 (S.I. No. 292 of 2015).
There is no provision for the award of added years under the rules of Secondary, Community and Comprehensive School Teachers Pension Scheme. However, there is provision for added years under the Education and Training Boards Teachers Scheme, where the minimum age limit specified for appointment and/or the minimum qualifications and experience specified for appointment to a professional, technical or specialist post in an Education and Training Board, would not allow a person to be appointed by age 25 and thereby acquire maximum reckonable service (40 years) by age 65. This was not seen as a requirement in the Voluntary and Community School Sector, where in general the issue did not arise. It should be noted added years are only awarded at retirement.
Therefore the pension provision a teacher may be entitled to upon retirement depends not on the course they have undertaken but rather the rules of the pension scheme of which they are a member. In this regard the pension entitlements of teachers in community schools differ from those of Educational Training Boards and indeed Civil Servants, because they have different pension schemes.
124. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding school transport for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; when it will be made available for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28009/16]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my 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.
The child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that a service for this child is scheduled to commence on Monday 3rd October.
125. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for bus tickets for persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28014/16]
View answerUnder 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 my Department/Bus Éireann.
The children in question are not eligible for school transport as their home address is less than 3.2 kilometres from the school in question. Children who are not eligible for school transport may avail of school transport on a concessionary basis only, subject to a number of conditions which are detailed in the scheme.
Bus Éireann has advised that there are spare seats on an existing service and in this regard the family should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office (01 830 2222) if they wish to avail of school transport on a concessionary basis.
126. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused school transport to a school when their sibling has been granted school transport to the same school and there is a number of spaces available on the school bus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28020/16]
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.
The first child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport and is currently availing of a service.
In the case of the second child the family should liaise with the school authorities and the Special Education Needs Organiser if they have additional information that was not available when their original application for school transport was completed.
This child's eligibility for school transport will be re-assessed on the basis of any new information submitted.
