Written Answers Nos. 66-85
66. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 through policy measures; the relevant policy initiatives he proposes to give effect to this Act; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31092/16]
View answerA number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children.
The following sections of EPSEN were commenced in 2005.
Section 1 – Interpretation
Section 2 - providing for the inclusive education of children with Special Educational Needs
Section 14 – placing certain duties on schools
Sections 19 to 37 - placing the Council on a statutory footing.
Section 39 - placing certain duties on Health Boards
Sections 40 to 53 - amending the Education Act
Schedule 1 – providing for meetings and membership of the Council
Schedule 2 - providing for the Chief Executive Officer of the Council.
The remaining sections of the Act have yet to be commenced. Legal advice provided to my Department indicates that the EPSEN Act, as it is currently constituted, may not be implemented on a phased, or age cohort, basis.
The Sections of the EPSEN Act which have not been implemented are those which would have conferred a statutory entitlement to:
- an educational assessment for all children with special educational needs.
- consequent development of a statutory individual educational plan (IEP).
- the delivery of detailed educational services on foot of this plan.
- an independent appeals process.
Estimates would also have to be made as to the number of pupils who might qualify for the statutory service provisions envisaged by the EPSEN Act.
The NCSE published a Plan for the Implementation of the EPSEN Act in 2006. This report concluded that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235m per annum, across the education and health sectors, would be required to fully implement the EPSEN Act.
My Department's opinion is that the level of investment required could be significantly greater than that envisaged in the NCSE report.
Revised estimates of the amount of additional expenditure required to fully implement remaining sectors of the EPSEN Act have not recently been conducted. The level of additional expenditure required would have to take into account annual demographic growth and service developments in the area of special educational needs, pricing adjustments and salary cost differentials on an ongoing basis. Accordingly it is not possible to provide an accurate breakdown of the areas in which these costs would be incurred.
While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has published a number of policy advice papers which make recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, and which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act.
These reports include the NCSE policy advice on Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools, published in 2013, and the Report of the Working Group on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for pupils with Special Educational Needs, published in 2014.
The alternative model was piloted in 47 schools during 2015/16 school year and the effectiveness of the pilot is currently being reviewed. This review will allow us to take into account the learning experiences of schools, principals, pupils and the views of parents over the course of the pilot.
It is therefore intended to bring into effect many of the good ideas contained in the EPSEN Act, on a non-statutory basis initially, through policy developments across a range of areas, in conjunction with NCSE policy advice.
Under the Programme for a Partnership Government, I have also committed to consulting with stakeholders to see how best to progress sections of the EPSEN Act that were introduced on a non-statutory basis.
Following the recent Budget I announced that I would be introducing a new model for the allocation of resources teachers in schools from September 2017. My Department has also introduced measures to provide for educational plans to be prepared for all students accessing Special Needs Assistant support.
67. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 168 of 11 October 2016, if he will indicate of the 7,924 pupils with which National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, undertook casework, including assessments, the number that relates to assessments only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31093/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware NEPS psychologists, as part of the continuum of services offered to schools, may become directly involved with pupils, offering service to identify need, appropriate intervention, and to monitor and review progress. This may or may not involve direct assessment of the pupil, depending on whether or not an assessment is needed to inform case formulation and appropriate intervention.
With regard to the 7,925 referrals for individual casework undertaken by NEPS psychologists, during the 2015/16 academic year, some 5,765 of these pupils underwent direct assessment as part of the involvement of the psychologist.
The input for the remainder of the referrals, in this period, involved ongoing consultation by the psychologist with school staff, parents and other agencies, case conferences/meetings and onward referral processes with clinical support services in order to address pupil need and ensure improved outcomes for that pupil.
68. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the outcome of the review of school transport as per the programme for Government commitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31094/16]
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.
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 and is being considered.
69. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way and when schools can apply for the Delivering Equality of Opportunities in Schools, DEIS, scheme; if there are to be any pilot schemes under the DEIS programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31109/16]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, a process to review DEIS which began last year is nearing completion and it is my intention to publish a new Plan for Educational Inclusion before the end of this year.
The review is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, the potential for innovation within and between schools and its scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and Agencies, in order to improve effectiveness.
Among the measures to be included in the plan are a series of pilot schemes aimed at introducing measures which have been shown to work well in improving results for disadvantaged children and students. The plan is expected to include targeted measures in the area of:
- Supporting School leadership
- Developing Networks and clusters for DEIS teachers and schools
- Supporting new teaching methodologies. There is evidence that, for example, changing the way literacy is taught to children who struggle can achieve major improvements in results
- Exploring ways in which the work of schools can be better integrated with other state supports within the community.
The results of mainstreaming will be carefully monitored before any decisions around mainstreaming are considered.
As you know no new school has been included in DEIS since 2009, and now a new assessment framework is being developed using centrally held CSO and DES data for the identification of new schools for inclusion. The number of schools to be included in the programme will be determined by this proposed new identification process which will assess all schools in the country, including those not currently participating in DEIS. It will not be necessary for schools to make an application.
Implementation of actions arising from the Plan for Educational Inclusion will begin in the 2017/18 school year, and will be a continuing theme in our wider Annual Action Plan for Education.
70. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the special educational needs, SEN, model following budget 2017 and the way it will operate; if it will operate any differently to the SEN model that was in operation prior to budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31110/16]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory role under the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 to provide me with policy advice in relation to matters concerning the education of persons with special educational needs.
The NCSE identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable, because access to the range of professional assessments required for the diagnosis of low incident disabilities is not always readily available to those who cannot afford to access them privately. The NCSE has also advised that the current model can lead to unnecessary labelling of children from a young age.
The NCSE has proposed a new resource teaching allocation model which will, when introduced, remove the formal requirement for diagnostic assessment to access additional support and which will provide resources to schools based on school profiles.
A pilot of this new model was conducted in 47 primary and post primary schools over the course of the 2015/16 school year.
A review of this pilot has been completed and a report of the review is currently being finalised. I understand that the review will indicate that the new model has been positively received by schools and parents.
Schools indicated that they welcomed the increased flexibility and autonomy provided by the model to allocate resources based on need. Most schools believe the model allows more scope for team teaching, targeted interventions, mix of in-class and group work, with less focus on withdrawal and one to one teaching. Schools welcome the move away from the unnecessary labelling of children in order to secure resources. Schools also welcomed that they no longer need to wait for diagnosis and that this facilitates intervention at an earlier stage based on the schools' identification of need. In addition schools indicated a belief that they were broadly well supported in meeting the needs of children with Special Educational Needs.
As part of the recent Budget announcements, I therefore announced that following development and piloting over the past number of years, a new model for the allocation of teaching resources for children with special educational needs will be implemented from September 2017.
An additional €18 million will be provided in 2017 to provide for around 900 resource teacher posts. Further details regarding implementation of the new model will be announced in the coming months.
71. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) in County Wexford for additional accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31179/16]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which he refers has been allocated funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2016 to construct an additional Mainstream Classroom to include en-suite toilets and a WC for assisted users.
72. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for an extension by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31180/16]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has received an application from the school in question for significant funding for major capital works. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
73. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the steps he will take to ensure that the volunteer centres which have suffered significant decreases in funding of up to 30% between 2009 and 2014 will have their funding base increased by at least 10% for 2017 and subsequent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31183/16]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 278 of 18 October 2016 which sets out the position in this matter.
74. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if all rights and opportunities in terms of access to housing adaptation grants are extending to those who have been diagnosed with autism or who are on the autistic spectrum, considering that in the disabilities Act it is classed as a sensory disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30998/16]
View answerThe Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for Older People and People with a Disability is delivered by local authorities with 80% funding from my Department, along with 20% from the local authorities’ own resources. It assists people with a disability in private houses to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out in order to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. There are no restrictions on the type of disability covered by the schemes and the administration of the available funding is a matter for the local authorities based on their assessment of priority and need at the time.
75. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount allocated to Kerry County Council, Listowel Town Council, Tralee Town Council and Killarney Town Council for each of the years from 2004 to 2014 to groups and persons for community events and purposes. [30996/16]
View answerThe precise information sought on funding allocated to Kerry County Council, Listowel Town Council, Tralee Town Council and Killarney Town Council for each of the years from 2004 to 2014 to groups and persons for community events and purposes is not fully clear.
It is also the case that information related to community-related funding may not be routinely collated on the basis of administrative boundaries within counties or its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.
Nevertheless, the following funding has been identified:
Between 2004 and 2010 my Department provided funding to local authorities under the Local Authority Playground Grants Scheme for the development of playgrounds and under the Community Services Facilities Scheme for capital projects to enhance communities, address disadvantage and improve social cohesion locally. Details of payments made to Kerry County Council under the schemes are set out in the following table.
|
Community Services Facilities Scheme |
||
|
Tralee Town Council for Rahoonane Community Outreach Ctr. |
€310,000 |
19 Nov. 2007 |
|
Caherciveen Community Resource Ctr. |
€93,805 |
13 Oct. 2008 |
|
Daingean Town |
€50,000 |
12 Mar. 2009 |
|
Local Authority Playground Grants Scheme |
||
|
Ballybunnion |
€80,000 |
5 Dec 2005 |
|
Ballyheigue |
€30,000 |
17 Aug 2006 |
|
Waterville |
€30,000 |
17 Aug 2006 |
|
Fenit |
€100,000 |
20 Dec 2006 |
|
Ballyheigue |
€17,823 |
14 June 2007 |
|
Fenit |
€2,177 |
20 May 2010 |
€289,699 has also been provided to date (since 2010) under the Tralee Regeneration Programme to deliver a range of projects focused on fostering community involvement, addressing recreational imbalances in the area and increasing participation in sport and physical activities.
RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment Programme) is a focused Government initiative to target the most disadvantaged urban areas in the country. Tralee was designated as a priority area for the investment of Government resources in 2002, and an action plan for the development of new initiatives, investment and improved co-ordination between national and local agencies and communities was prepared and implemented under the direction of local Area Implementation Teams (AITs). Details of RAPID funding are set out in the following table.
|
RAPID Playground |
Amount Paid |
|
Tralee Town Council |
60,000.00 |
|
Tralee Town Council |
66,000.00 |
|
Tralee Town Council |
63,709.82 |
|
Tralee Town Council |
21,593.00 |
|
RAPID Traffic |
Amount Paid |
|
Tralee Town Council |
22,500.00 |
|
Tralee Town Council |
41,650.00 |
|
RAPID Local Authority Housing Estate Enhancement Scheme (LAHEES) |
Amount Paid |
|
Tralee Town Council |
20,000.00 |
|
Tralee Town Council |
23,520.00 |
|
Tralee Town Council |
21,480.00 |
|
Tralee Town Council |
37,183.78 |
In 2014, €12,000 was provided to Kerry County Council as start-up funding for Kerry Public Participation Network (PPN) which was established to enable individuals and community groups in Co. Kerry to have a say on issues that concern them. Public Participation Networks (PPNs) are new structures for public engagement and participation in Local Government in each Local Authority area.
If a more specific question is tabled relating to a particular area of funding from my Department, I will certainly endeavour to provide the information sought.
76. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will amend the new tenant purchase scheme to allow residents of houses that were built under Part V agreements to be included in the scheme and allow them to purchase their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31002/16]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016 and allows eligible local authority tenants to buy their homes.
The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 governing the Scheme provides for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale. The provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, are designed to enable the development of mixed tenure sustainable communities. Part V units are excluded from the Tenant (Incremental), Purchase Scheme to ensure that units delivered under this mechanism will remain available for people in need of social housing support and that the original policy goals of the legislation are not eroded over time. The continued development of mixed tenure communities remains very important in promoting social integration.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government and reaffirmed in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, it is intended that a review of the Scheme will be initiated in January 2017 following the first 12 months of operation and any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that stage will be brought forward.
77. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that the additional one year foreshore lease for the Galway bay test site, March 2016 - March 2017, granted and dated 11 July 2016, which was applied for by the Marine Institute, Oranmore, County Galway, to continue to occupy and to utilise the existing facility under the terms and conditions of the original lease granted in 2006 (details supplied), is an extension of time only, and that no other conditions or changes have been made or granted in the one year foreshore lease extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31017/16]
View answerThe lease granted for one additional year allows the Marine Institute to operate and utilise the test facility to the extent permitted under the original granted lease, only until such time as a new application to extend the scope and nature of the facility has been determined or March 2017, whichever is the earliest.
78. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason the original foreshore lease document (details supplied) amounts to thirteen pages, while the granted one-year, short-term foreshore lease extension document is 60 pages long in relation to the foreshore lease applied for by the Marine Institute; if he will confirm the substantive differences between the two documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31018/16]
View answerThe current Foreshore Lease format is intended to provide a comprehensive set of protections and obligations with a view to providing a clear description of the Lessor/Lessee relationship being entered into. In order to enhance clarity for both parties, the current format lease has naturally become more detailed in the 10 year period between the execution of these two instruments.
79. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason the foreshore lease extension of one year has been granted to the Marine Institute for the Galway Bay test site without environmental impact assessments having been conducted for this lease extension, as required under national and EU legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31072/16]
View answerAs the one year lease term extension did not require further works or alterations to the physical aspect of the site a further environmental impact assessment of the consented facility was not required.
80. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if guidelines have been issued to local authorities on the operation of the vacant site levy; and if he will indicate where these are available to the public. [31083/16]
View answerMy Department issued general guidance on the implementation of the vacant site levy to planning authorities by way of Circular Letter PL7/2016 on 1 July 2016, entitled Implementation of the Vacant Site Levy as provided for in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, which is available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/pl_07-2016_guidance_on_implementation_of_the_vacant_site_levy.pdf .
81. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide the necessary funding to Dublin City Council to allow the local authority to commence phase two of the insulation programme to provide insulation to the older, single brick housing in view of the serious level of fuel poverty in older council properties. [31098/16]
View answerLocal authorities are continuing with an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting this year and further funding of some € 33 million for that purpose has been made available to end-2016. This is additional to funding of some €85 million provided from 2013 to 2015 to improve energy efficiency and comfort levels in over 46,000 local authority homes. This Programme benefits those at risk of fuel poverty and is making a significant contribution to Ireland’s carbon emissions reduction and energy reduction targets for 2020.
The Programme is being implemented in a number of phases. Phase 1 commenced in 2013 and is focused on providing attic/roof insulation and the less intrusive cavity wall insulation in all relevant properties. There are 80,000 social homes to be tackled in that phase and to end-2015, some 46,000 homes had been retrofitted, with further good progress being made under that phase in 2016.
Phase 2 of the Programme will focus on the external fabric upgrade of those social housing units with solid/hollow block wall construction, of which there are 28,000 homes. This phase commenced on a pilot basis in both Fingal and Westmeath local authorities and the outcome of this pilot work will inform the full national roll-out of Phase 2 across all local authorities in 2017. In the meantime, all local authorities, including Dublin City Council, have been informed that funding will be considered for Phase 2 works on a case by case basis.
In 2016, funding of €825,000 has been provided to the City Council to continue with Phase 1, in addition to €140,800 for a pilot Phase 2 project at Cromcastle Court, Coolock. This pilot project involves the external insulation of an apartment complex and the outcome will inform future projects of this nature.
83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the projected savings to the Exchequer as a result of changes in the criteria for qualification for the contributory old age pension since these changes were introduced. [30988/16]
View answer84. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the projected savings in 2017 and the number of old age pensioners affected by the changes in criteria for qualification for the contributory pension. [30989/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together.
The overall concern in recent years has been to protect the value of weekly social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions, at approximately €7 billion, is the largest block of expenditure in my Department in the Estimate for 2016, representing approximately 35% of overall expenditure. Due to demographic changes, my Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on year. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other payments is critical in protecting people from poverty.
Each year more people are living to pension age and living longer in retirement. As a result of this demographic change, the number of State pension recipients is increasing by approximately 17,000 annually. This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision which are currently increasing by close to €1 billion every 5 years. The purpose of changes to the State pension age is to make the pension system more sustainable in the context of increasing life expectancy.
The conditions for the State pension (contributory) are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and there have been a number of changes over the years which impact upon whether someone qualifies or not. The main such changes in recent years are as follows:
1. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided for the necessary amendments to increase the State pension age in line with the National Pensions Framework as set out in the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland. It provided for an increase in the age for qualification for the State Pension from 66 years to 67 years from 2021, and a further increase to 68 years from 2028. It also discontinued the State Pension (Transition) for new claimants with effect from 1 January 2014.
In 2013, the cost of the State pension (transition) was €137 million. While its abolition would not realise that saving in full, as some people who were affected would alternatively claim working age payments (although at a lower rate than that of the State pension), and some may have claimed an Increase for a Qualified Adult on their spouses’ pensions, it is estimated that well over half of that cost may have been saved each year as a result of this measure.
It is estimated that the net saving in 2017 is likely to be in the region of €75-80 million.
2. “Developing the National Pensions System – Final Report of the National Pensions Board” published in 1993, recommended that the number of paid contributions required to qualify for a contributory pension should be increased to 520 (i.e. 10 years) and the necessary legislation to effect these recommendations was contained in Section 12 of the Social Welfare Act 1997 which provided for their implementation in two stages, with the paid contribution requirement being standardised at 260 from 2002, rising to 520 from April 2012.
At the time this measure was introduced, the Exchequer annual savings were expected to be in the region of €6m per annum in the short term, but rising substantially on a cumulative basis in the long term.
As provided for in Budget 2012, from September 2012, new rate bands for State pension (contributory) were introduced, replacing the bands which had been in place since 2000. While this does not impact upon whether someone qualifies for a State pension, it may impact upon the rate new claimants qualify for, and in some cases may result in them claiming an alternative payment. The effect of this was to reduce the rate of State pension (contributory) attracted by those on lower yearly averages.
It is estimated that the exchequer savings arising from the current rate bands (relative to the ones in place from 2000-2012) will be at least €50 million in 2017, and that this will rise at a rate of some €10m annually.
For those with insufficient contributions to meet the requirements for a full rate State pension (contributory), they may qualify for a means tested State pension (non-contributory) which has a maximum personal rate of €222, which is 95% of the maximum rate of the State pension (contributory). Alternatively, if a person’s spouse or civil partner is in receipt of a State pension (contributory) they may instead qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult of up to €209, which is 90% of the maximum personal rate of the State pension (contributory).
There has, in recent years, been a significant increase in the number of people receiving a State pension. It is not possible to state the numbers of people who do not qualify as a result of particular changes in criteria, as a significant number would not, as a consequence, enter the State pension system. Some, for example, might be the spouse of a public service pensioner with a significant income, and might not qualify for a means-tested payment. If such people do not claim a State pension (contributory) or an alternative, their circumstances would not generally be part of the statistics available to my Department.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
