Written Answers Nos. 235-259
235. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make funding available to Mary Immaculate College in Limerick for the purpose of developing library facilities as the building currently accommodates 210 study places for over 3,400 students attending the college; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30369/16]
View answerThe Department of Education and Skills has been made aware of the challenges faced by the third level institution in question with respect to its current library facilities.
There are many competing demands on the limited capital budget for higher education and the library development proposal will be considered within the context of competing demands. I am not in a position to commit to a funding allocation at this point.
236. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken by his department to ensure that Garda vetting is undertaken in an efficient manner; if his Department has plans to review the Garda vetting requirements particularly to allow individuals to apply rather than schools or institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30373/16]
View answerIn April 2016, the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) which put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable adults.
The Vetting Act applies not just to schools but to any relevant organisation that employs, contracts, permits or places a person in relevant work with children or vulnerable persons. The Vetting Act does not provide for individuals to apply to the National Vetting Bureau for vetting but provides that vetting is conducted by the Bureau on foot of an application by a relevant organisation that is registered with it. The vetting legislation and the vetting procedures operated by the National Vetting Bureau fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice and Equality.
In relation to schools, my Department engaged in extensive preparation work in anticipation of the commencement of the statutory vetting requirements for the schools sector. In that regard, my Department published a circular in April 2015 which outlined the advance preparations and actions to be taken by all school authorities and registered teachers so as to facilitate, as far as possible, a smooth transition to the statutory vetting requirements once they became operational.
In addition, my Department brought forward legislation which amended the Teaching Council Act to provide, inter alia, for a statutory basis for the Teaching Council’s role in the statutory vetting of registered teachers and to enable the Teaching Council to put in place a streamlined mechanism for school employers to meet the requirements of the Vetting Act in respect of registered teachers.
When the vetting requirements were commenced last April, my Department also issued circular 0031/2016 which set out the statutory vetting requirements applicable to schools along with the practical arrangements in place to support the vetting procedures. A Frequently Asked Questions document was also published by my Department to assist schools with queries in respect of the circular.
237. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special educational needs organisers by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30383/16]
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 70 SENOs.
Since 2014, the number of SENO posts have increased from 67 to 70 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 information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of SENOs by county, is available on the National Council for Special Education's website at ncse.ie.
238. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding options available for schools who wish to build a sports facilities such as all-weather and astro turf pitches or sports halls on their school grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30389/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's focus in recent years has been on prioritising the funding available for the provision of essential classroom accommodation to meet demographic need.
As the Deputy will be aware, due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the available funding in this manner, it is not possible at this point to provide an indicative timeframe for the provision of funding for sports facilities generally.
239. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action he will take to address the disparity in school costs which exist from school to school throughout the country and which are being demanded of families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30407/16]
View answerI strongly support any measures that can be put in place to reduce costs for parents.
All schools must be sensitive to the financial pressures on parents in making decisions, not just about school uniforms or books, but about any matter that has cost implications for parents.
The Action Plan for Education outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented over the 3 year period 2016 to 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 or eliminate school book costs 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.
Budget 2017 represents the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade.
It was not possible to provide additional funding in Budget 2017 in relation to this element of the Action Plan due to the many competing demands for the available funding. However, this commitment remains a priority for me to address as soon as possible during the lifetime of the Action Plan. It is important to note that the total allocation to this Department for additional policy measures, after demographics and Industrial Relations commitments, was €130 million and of which all our commitments in higher and further education and primary and secondary schools had to be funded.
I also intend to introduce a stronger complaints procedure and a charter for parents. It is important that schools should consult parents on matters relating to their children's education, including those matters which have cost implications, and schools should be responsive to the views and concerns of parents. In that regard requiring schools to have a parent charter will ensure that schools will interact better with parent associations and with individual parents.
I will shortly seek Government approval for the Heads of a Bill to provide for replacing Section 28 of the Education Act, 1998 and the drafting of principles which will form the framework of a Parents' and Learners' Charter in every school.
I believe that these actions will significantly strengthen the focus on reducing school costs for parents.
240. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the school transport scheme; and if he will consider increasing funding to the scheme in line with the recommendation by a charity (details supplied) of €5 million resulting in an abolition of fees for parents. [30433/16]
View answer255. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the school transport scheme; and if his Department will consider increasing funding to the scheme in line with the recommendation of a charity (details supplied) of €5 million resulting in an abolition of fees for parents. [30586/16]
View answerI propose take Questions Nos. 240 and 255 together.
As committed to in the Programme for Government, a review of the concessionary charges and rules element of the School Transport Scheme has been undertaken.
School 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.
Children are generally eligible for school transport where they meet the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
The annual charges for school transport are €100 per child attending a primary school and €350 per child attending a post primary school. The annual family maximum for primary children is €220 while the overall family maximum is €650 per annum.
These charges, which may be paid in two instalments in July and December, are a contribution towards the overall cost and do not reflect the true cost of providing school transport services. Research carried out in the context of the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme showed that the annual unit cost per pupil for the provision of school transport was some €1,000, €950 and €7,000 for primary, post primary and children with special educational needs (excluding escorts) respectively.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge; children who are eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs are also exempt from paying the annual charge.
Given that the annual cost of school transport provision is some €175m it is not proposed to change the current charges.
241. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when approval to go to tender will be given for a school project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30452/16]
View answerThe project referred to by the Deputy has recently been approved to proceed to Stage 3 which involves the tender competition for appointment of the building contractor. The school and its design team have been informed.
242. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a school project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30453/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, a project for the school referred is included in my Department’s 6 Year Capital Programme.
Officials from my Department recently advised the school’s Board of Management and the Patron’s representative that following a technical examination of an alternative site being made available by the School Patron, it has been decided that a new school building will be provided for the school referred to by the Deputy on that site. A Schedule of Accommodation and a project brief is currently being finalised. My Department will continue to liaise with the school authorities in relation to the progression of this project.
243. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school building project will be approved (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30455/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department approved grant for the construction of a mainstream classroom at the school in question to accommodate a new teacher appointment in September 2016. The school applied for two mainstream classrooms, one to accommodate the new teacher appointment and the other to replace a prefab that is currently being used for mainstream teaching purposes.
The prefab was purchased by the school in 2012 with a grant of €100k provided by my Department. At that time, the school was given the option to build a permanent classroom or purchase a prefab and opted to purchase the prefab. As the prefab is less than 4 years old, my Department cannot justify replacing it. When the new classroom is constructed, the school will have sufficient accommodation for its mainstream classroom needs.
244. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if additional funding can be facilitated for required accommodation at a school (details supplied) with particular reference to the growing demographics of the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30458/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the patron of the school in question has confirmed that the school has sufficient accommodation to cater for its needs. The question of additional accommodation therefore does not arise.
An analysis of the area in question shows that the existing school providers can cater for the level of demand in the area. The Forward Planning Section of my Department will continue to monitor demographic data for all areas of the country to ensure emerging needs are met in a timely manner.
245. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if approval can be given for a school project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30460/16]
View answerI can confirm that a major capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in the 6 year Building Programme (2019/2021) announced last November. My Department will be in contact with the school in due course in the context of progressing the project.
246. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding training boards have been given to build new kitchen facilities in 2014, 2015 and to date in 2016; the amount allocated for 2017; the locations of each of these kitchen and or culinary facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30479/16]
View answer247. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the culinary curriculum for the education and training boards sector is being set by education and training board Ireland or each individual education and training board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30484/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together.
SOLAS has informed me that it has not allocated any capital funding for new kitchen training facilities in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. The capital allocation for FET in 2017 has not been finalised at this point.
Education and Training Boards (ETB) have a statutory responsibility to have their programmes validated by the external quality assurance body Quality and Qualifications Ireland. ETBs are therefore responsible for developing curricula for their programmes. This process is undertaken collaboratively with other ETBs.
Apprenticeships are designed to be delivered on a national basis, with only a single apprenticeship in place for each occupation. The development of the curriculum for the new Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme is being led by Cork Education and Training Board with industry partners. The occupational profile for this apprenticeship was approved by the Apprenticeship Council and the programme will be available for delivery across the ETBs.
Earlier this year, the Hospitality Skills Oversight Group was established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the 2015 report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs in relation to the hospitality sector.
The Group has met several times since it was established and a number of key actions are being progressed including an audit of courses and culinary facilities within both the Further and Higher education sectors with a view to obtaining a complete overview of existing courses and facilities, so as to identify gaps in provision and to encourage collaboration and sharing of facilities where possible.
248. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there has been a delay in the publication of Caranua annual report for 2015 and the appeals officers report for 2015; and when they are likely to be published. [30485/16]
View answerThe Deputy will be pleased to hear that the reports in question were recently laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. Notices to this effect appeared in the Order Paper of Dáil Éireann of 28 September 2016.
250. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are grants or funding available to a school (details supplied) in County Cork to cover emergency repair works needing to be carried out as a matter of priority, noting that the school has already applied for emergency works funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30543/16]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) to tarmac their school carpark and access road to the special needs unit.
As the scope of works is outside the terms and conditions of the scheme, the application cannot be considered. The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is solely for unforeseen emergencies, and if not corrected would prevent the school from opening.
The correct mechanism for applying for funding for works of this nature is my Department’s Summer Works Scheme.
252. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the ongoing review of July provision for children with cerebral palsy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30564/16]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government, published in May 2016, includes a commitment to examine the adequacy of current special education access and funding provision.
In addition the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Policy Advice on Educational Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders was published on 15 July 2016.
In developing this policy advice, the NCSE reviewed the Department's July Provision scheme. The NCSE consulted widely with parents, professionals and other stakeholders and interested parties while also conducting research. The Policy advice is available on the NCSEs website www.ncse.ie.
An implementation group has now been established to review the recommendations of this policy advice. Recommendations which relate to the July Provision Scheme will be fully considered by this group which will prepare an implementation plan for the Ministers consideration.
253. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of recipients of support from Caranua which were wrongly told in July 2015 that their claims were complete; and the number which have since been instructed that this was an error. [30566/16]
View answerCaranua is an independent statutory body and I have no role in relation to its day to day operations. I have therefore arranged to have the Deputy's question forwarded to Caranua and requested it to examine the issues raised and to reply to her as soon as possible.
254. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for additional school accommodation at a school (details supplied) when he envisages progress will be made in the provision of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30585/16]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is currently considering an application for additional accommodation from the school to which he refers. My Department will be in contact shortly with the school in relation to its application.
256. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will take steps to ensure funding is provided for the construction of a new school (details supplied) which has progressed through all the relevant stages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30589/16]
View answerThe project referred to by the Deputy has recently been approved to proceed to Stage 3 which involves the tender competition for appointment of the building contractor. The school and its design team have been informed.
257. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the exact funding increase provided by budget 2017 for his Department in 2017, minus provision required for demographics and the Lansdowne Road agreement, compared to the Estimate provided in budget 2016, the summer economic statement and the expected outturn for 2016 in tabular form. [30601/16]
View answerAn additional €458 million will be made available to my Department in 2017 compared to the allocation provided in the 2016 Revised Estimates Volume. The following table provides a detailed breakdown of the 2017 Budget Allocation setting out the adjustments to the overall allocation for my Department since the announcement of Budget 2016, including school demographics and Lansdowne Road Agreement.
|
VOTE 26: EDUCATION and SKILLS Gross Expenditure(Total allocations include €362m in respect of National Training Fund Expenditure) |
Current €m |
Capital €m |
Total €m |
|
TOTAL ALLOCATION AS PER BUDGET 2016 |
8,524 |
545 |
9,069 |
|
2016 Revised Estimates Volume: |
|||
|
Additional provided for Technological Universities |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Student Support improvements |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Reclassification of Public Private Partnership (PPP) Expenditure as Capital |
-50 |
50 |
0 |
|
Inter-Vote Transfer to D/Children & Youth Affairs in respect of Residual Youth Services Funding |
-1 |
0 |
-1 |
|
TOTAL ALLOCATION AS PER 2016 REVISED ESTIMATES VOLUME |
8,477 |
595 |
9,072 |
|
2016 Mid Year Expenditure Review: |
|||
|
School Demographics |
51 |
51 |
|
|
Full year cost of additional 600 Resource Teachers from September 2016 |
22 |
22 |
|
|
Full year cost of Budget 2016 Staff Schedule improvements |
30 |
30 |
|
|
Multi-Annual Capital Programme increase |
55 |
55 |
|
|
TOTAL ALLOCATION AS PER 2016 MID-YEAR EXPENDITURE REVIEW |
8,580 |
650 |
9,230 |
|
Budget 2017: |
|||
|
Budget Measures 2017 |
130 |
40 |
170 |
|
Lansdowne Road Agreement |
130 |
130 |
|
|
TOTAL ALLOCATION AS PER BUDGET 2017 ALLOCATION |
8,840 |
690 |
9,530 |
With respect to expected outturn, net overall Education expenditure at the end of September was €5.98bn, which was €18m (0.3%) behind the profiled position prepared for end-September which was prepared at the beginning of the year.
As outlined in my appearance of 29 September before the Joint Committee on Education & Skills to discuss my Department’s Mid-Year Expenditure Review, my Department’s 2016 Allocation is coming under pressure as a result of additional superannuation payments. The full extent of any overrun in this area will become clearer when the end-October Expenditure figures are known. At that stage, the full impact of the demographic increase and the staffing schedule improvements announced in Budget 2016 on Education expenditure should become known.
In addition, in accordance with the terms of the Stability and Growth Pact, the then-Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform sanctioned an additional €100m in Capital Expenditure earlier this year bringing the total Capital allocation for my Department in 2016 to €695m.
258. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on his meeting with the Irish Episcopal Conference on 22 July 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30607/16]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government reflects the Government's objective of strengthening parental choice and further expanding diversity in our school system. The desire of parents for diversity in education is primarily being pursued by increasing the number of non-denominational and multi-denominational schools with a view to reaching 400 by 2030. In addition to the phased transfer of Catholic schools to new patrons already under way, this requires considering new ideas and new approaches to substantially accelerate the changes in school provision in order to achieve greater diversity. By developing new approaches I am convinced that we can significantly increase the number of non-denominational and multi-denominational schools. In this regard, after taking office and in the context of developing my Action Plan for Education 2016-2019, I held meetings with a broad range of stakeholders, including patron and management bodies, as did my officials, to discuss how best this can be achieved.
In this context, I met with a number of representatives of the Catholic Church, including representatives of the Irish Episcopal Conference, on 22 July last to discuss primary school reconfiguration and to outline that for the areas where there is currently no diversity of provision, I am working on advancing options to provide a great choice of patronage for parents in these areas. The Church representatives stated their desire to work with my Department to provide a greater choice for parents. The meeting was a useful one and I am continuing to progress options for reconfiguration as a priority. I aim to be in a position to announce the new approaches within the timeframe indicated in the Action Plan for Education.
259. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) submitted a formal application and supporting documentation for grant aid to SUSI; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that SUSI has requested the person to provide evidence of independent residence; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the person did actually provide evidence to show that he or she has been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance since September 2015, while he or she resided at a location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30608/16]
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.
