Written Answers Nos. 121-129
121. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will accommodate a person (details supplied) with transport on the Bus Éireann school bus scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28901/16]
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 transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child in question is eligible for school transport but the family was late in submitting their application and that all seats on the service in question have been allocated for the 2016/17 school year.
122. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will announce the patrons for new post-primary schools due to open in 2017 and 2018; if his attention has been drawn to the urgency with regard to the school that is due to open in 2017 in Limerick in view of the central applications system that applies for the city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28920/16]
View answerOn 26 April 2016 applications were invited for the patronage of nine new post-primary schools to be established in 2017 and 2018, including the new post-primary schools to open in Limerick City and Environs (South-West) in 2017 and in Limerick City and Environs (East) in 2018. The closing date for receipt of applications for this process was 8 June 2016. Patrons submitted with their application a parental preference template in which parents have been requested to declare their preference for their child(ren) to be educated through that patron's school model and also their preference with regard to education through the medium of English or Irish.
Applications received are currently being assessed by my Department. The assessment process is detailed and rigorous and numerous applications have been received in respect of each of the nine proposed new post-primary schools. The final assessment reports will be forwarded for the consideration of the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG), which will submit a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision.
It is expected that the assessment process will be completed and that a determination in relation to the patronage of the new schools will be made in the coming weeks. In the context of the Common Applications System which operates in Limerick, my Department has been liaising with the Limerick Education Centre in this matter and understands that post-primary school opening days/nights are ongoing. The assessment reports and the recommendations of the NSEG will be available on the Department's website following the announcement.
123. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if, further to written representations made to his Department on a number of occasions in relation to the urgent need to approve grant aid in respect of necessary upgrading works, particularly window replacements, at a school (details supplied), if he will give urgent consideration to this application with a view to early approval of the necessary funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28924/16]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has received an application for window replacement from the school referred to by the Deputy under the Summer Works Scheme 2016-17.
Under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017), valid applications from schools that were not reached for funding reasons from within the funding made available in 2016, will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available in 2017, subject to the overall availability of funding. The application from the school in question is available to be considered in this context.
If this arises, the terms and conditions of the scheme as outlined in Circular Letter (0055/2015) which may be accessed on my Department's website, will continue to apply when allocating funding to such projects.
124. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills when permanent medium-term and long-term accommodation will be provided to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28932/16]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme (2016-2021). The project will be progressed with a view to proceeding to tender and construction stages between the years 2019 to 2021, as outlined in the programme.
In the meantime, the school will continue to be accommodated in interim temporary accommodation.
125. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills in the context of the significant reduction in posts of responsibility at primary school level since 2009, the steps he will take to address the issue of the pay parity awards due to principals since that date and to rebuild the appropriate structures to facilitate promotions within these schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28962/16]
View answerWhen the moratorium on the filling of posts of responsibility was introduced in 2009, the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools. These posts continue to be replaced in the normal manner. The impact of the moratorium was therefore limited to the Assistant Principal and Special Duties posts of responsibility. There are limited alleviation arrangements in place for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at Assistant Principal level.
It is widely accepted that the quality of school leadership is a key determinant of school effectiveness and the achievement of good learning outcomes. Indeed international research indicates that school leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on pupil learning.
The Centre for School Leadership (CSL) is a collaboration between my Department and the representative professional bodies for school principals. It has been created to offer professional and practical support to schools leaders. This support structure for leadership teams in schools will attempt to ensure that school leaders have opportunities to access, share and create knowledge and experience within their leadership roles.
The work of the Centre draws on best international practice and research in the professional development of school leaders. Priorities for the Centre include a new post graduate qualification for aspiring school leaders, a mentoring programme for newly appointed school principals, coaching support for serving principals who are facing new challenges in the role, a review and alignment of leadership programmes with Department standards and the development of a quality assurance framework for leadership provision.
In addition my Department has published Looking at Our School 2016, a quality framework for schools which is designed to support the efforts of teachers and school leaders, as well as the school system more generally, to strive for excellence in our schools.
The Deputy will also be aware that as part of Budget 2016, additional release days for teaching principals were provided for, as outlined in circular 12/2016 which is available on my Department's website.
126. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will extend the slurry deadline (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28916/16]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 139 of 28 September 2016. The position is unchanged.
127. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will include in his quarterly homeless progress report data on the average length of time families in different local authority areas are spending in emergency accommodation. [28704/16]
View answerThe official homelessness data reports provided by housing authorities are produced using the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS), the single integrated national data information system on the State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. These reports are published on my Department's website as soon as they are available and can be accessed using the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.
My Department is currently exploring with housing authorities whether the functionality of PASS can be enhanced to produce data such as that outlined in the Question.
128. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will review the practice of requiring families at risk of homelessness to self-accommodate through sourcing their own emergency accommodation; and if he will instruct local authorities to provide this service where required. [28705/16]
View answerMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. In accordance with section 37(2) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation to homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities.
The matter raised in the Question is an operational issue in the day-to-day delivery of services and is therefore a matter for individual housing authorities.
129. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of cases that have been approved, sanctioned and completed for the mortgage to rent scheme; and his plans to amend eligibility criteria for the scheme to make it more accessible to the thousands of families that require it. [28608/16]
View answerI refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 327 and 328 of 27 September 2016, which set out the position with regard to the number of cases which have been completed under the two Mortgage to Rent (MTR) schemes funded by my Department. The number of cases completed is 220 under the Local Authority Mortgage to Rent (LAMTR) scheme and 164 under the MTR Scheme for borrowers of private commercial lending institutions. These figures represent the number of households remaining in their homes as a result of the availability of both schemes. Further detailed statistics relating to the two schemes are available at the links:
h ttps://www.housingagency.ie/Our-Services/Housing-Supply-Services/Mortgage-to-Rent.aspx
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/b7-lamtr_transactions_2013-2015.xlsx.
The Government is committed to supporting households in long-term mortgage arrears to remain in their homes and has included a review of the MTR Scheme for borrowers of private commercial lending institutions as an action in the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. The review will examine what amendments can be made to the scheme to make it work better for borrowers. My Department has commenced work on scoping this review and in this regard has begun early consultations with key stakeholders. The review is to be complete by the end of the year.
