Written Answers Nos. 101-113
101. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is any mechanism by which leaving certificate applied students who wish to apply for membership of An Garda Síochána could be granted an interim indication of results in order that their applications may be assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6469/17]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
102. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are any cases before the courts, equality tribunal, Workplace Relations Commission or other such body in which either his Department or education and training boards is or are the respondent and the complaint relates to discriminatory action or victimisation on grounds of religious belief; if so, the number of any such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6470/17]
View answerI wish to confirm to the Deputy that there are no cases before the courts, equality tribunal, workplace relations commission or other such body in which my Department is the respondent in relation to discriminatory action or victimisation on grounds of religious belief.
The Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are separate, independent and autonomous bodies which are set up under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013. As ETBs are independent employers, any queries in respect of cases taken against an ETB should be directed to the relevant ETB.
103. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures his Department plans to take to increase the supply of teachers who can teach through the medium of Irish; his plans to establish a teacher training programme through the medium of Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6472/17]
View answerMy Department considers it important that the supply of teachers with the required qualifications should meet demand at both primary and post primary levels, including teachers qualified to teach through Irish. Accordingly, my Department asked the Teaching Council to consider the matter of teacher supply with a view to developing better forecasting methods to ensure an adequate supply of teachers with the necessary qualifications. The Council has provided its advice and report and the Department is currently considering the report’s recommendations with a view to implementation where appropriate.
The Deputy will be aware of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022, which contains a number of actions relating to improving the supply and quality of teaching through the medium of Irish at primary and post-primary level. These actions include the provision of a new Irish-medium initial teacher education (ITE) programme for primary teachers that addresses the needs of teachers in the Irish-medium sector and strengthening the supply of teachers from the existing post-primary ITE provider.
The actions in the Policy on Gaeltacht Education will be implemented on a phased basis commencing in 2017, as set out in the recently launched Action Plan for Education 2017. In accordance with the Action Plan. my Department intends commencing drafting of a tendering process for expanded ITE provision by the end of this year.
104. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6506/17]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 5 application for toilet replacement works under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017) from the school to which she refers.
Nearly 50% of schools have applied for inclusion under the scheme which reflects a very high demand. Details of successful school applicants in respect of Categories 1 and 2 were announced in April last and are published on my Department's website www.education.ie.
Assessment of valid projects in further categories is now being undertaken by my Department, subject to the overall availability of funding, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the scheme as outlined in Circular Letter (0055/2015), which may be accessed on my Department's website. The application from the school in question is available to be considered in this context.
105. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount required to include newer schools built since 2013 in the scheme for new computers for schools, considering the small number of new schools as a proportion of the overall number of schools nationwide; if his Department will review the policy of excluding the newer schools to help refresh the information technology hardware in all schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6523/17]
View answerUnder the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment, €210m was committed to fund ICT Infrastructure for schools over the period of the Strategy. For the 2016-2017 period, some €30m was allocated and is now being distributed to eligible schools. The amounts to be paid per school are based on the number of qualifying students enrolled in eligible schools, and so the €30m is fully allocated.
New schools and schools in new buildings receive ICT equipment grants as part of their furniture and equipment funding. For primary schools, €5,000 per classroom is allocated, while at post-primary level, the allocation depends on the room use - a business/computer room for example is allocated some €26,500 for that room alone. General classrooms are also allocated funding at post-primary level. The cut off year at which schools will become eligible will move forward year on year - so a school that opened in 2013 for example, will become eligible for funding in the 2017-2018 school year, and so on. There are no plans to review the criteria for the scheme.
Subject to the availability of exchequer funding, it is anticipated that an equipment grant scheme will operate in each year up to the 2020-2021 school year.
The 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.
106. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reconsider the decision to refuse grant aid for additional accommodation for a school (details supplied) due to extenuating circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6530/17]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department refused grant to the school in question as it considers that the school has sufficient essential classroom accommodation to meet its current needs. The school's application was considered in the context of the very significant challenges facing my Department in prioritising available capital funding for essential mainstream classrooms to meet the demand for extra school places and where an additional teacher has been appointed. My Department has written to the school authority to clarify the position.
It is open to the school authority to submit any additional information that may not have been provided with the original application e.g. the appointment of an additional teacher. Any additional information submitted will be considered by my Department and a response will be conveyed directly to the school.
107. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Skills the level of expenditure by his Department or any organisations under the aegis of his Department for each of the years from 2005 to 2016, in tabular form, on photography, advertising, communications advice, public relations, website development, interview training and preparation, including details of the events, campaigns or policies to which this expenditure related, and the company or individual to whom such payments were made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6536/17]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy in relation to expenditure by my Department is not readily available. I will arrange to have the material compiled and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
The information requested by the Deputy in respect of agencies is not held centrally by the Department. The awarding of contracts, the expenditure incurred, and the procurement arrangements by agencies under the aegis of the Department is an operational matter for each agency. If the Deputy has an interest in a particular agency then officials in my Department will request the agency concerned to provide the relevant information insofar as it is possible.
All bodies under the aegis of my Department are aware of the need to achieve value for money while conducting procurement. The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies outlines the responsibilities of state bodies in this regard and my Department regularly updates the aegis bodies on developments in relation to public procurement policy and practices.
For the Deputy's information details of agencies under the remit of my Department can be downloaded from the Department's website.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
109. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the location a second level school currently in temporary accommodation (details supplied) in Cork City will be located to for the 2017-2018 school year; if he will provide an update on the provision of a permanent site for the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6558/17]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that a site has been identified to accommodate a permanent school building for the school to which he refers and that the acquisition of this site is at an advanced stage.
Unfortunately, as the Deputy may be aware, commercial sensitivities apply to property acquisitions generally and I am not in a position to provide further details at this time in relation to the location. However, the patron body of the school in question will be informed of the proposed location as soon as it is possible to do so.
The Department and representatives of the school patron have agreed an approach in relation to the provision of temporary accommodation for this school for the coming school year and this is currently being progressed by the patron.
110. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 94 of 18 January 2017, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the consulting engineers acting for the school (details supplied) are strongly of the view that all of the works proposed are required in order to address the health and safety issues and that scaling back the works is not a viable option; if he will arrange for the necessary funding to be made available to the school to have these works carried out as they cannot await the summer works scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6567/17]
View answerAs I outlined to the Deputy in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 94 of 18 January 2017, the school in question applied for funding under my Department’s Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for extensive works to the roof of its building. A project of this scale is outside the Terms and Conditions of the EWS Scheme.
It remains my Department's position that, consistent with the EWS terms and conditions and the finite funding available under that Scheme, it would be willing to consider a scaled back EWS application to shore up the roof and to deal with the most urgent Health & Safety issues arising pending a Summer Works Scheme application, which is the appropriate mechanism for works of the type and scale involved. My Department wrote to the school on 16 January, 2017, outlining the position. To date it has received no response.
111. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of all outstanding debts owed by religious orders in respect of the residential institutions redress scheme, with a full breakdown of all properties not yet transferred and all cash amounts owed; and the timeframe to have these outstanding debts cleared. [6571/17]
View answerIn my response to Parliamentary Question 69 of 3 November 2016 from the Deputy I set out the position in relation to contributions made by religious congregations towards the costs of redress. As I explained in that reply contributions are being made under the binding 2002 Indemnity Agreement and under voluntary offers made in 2009 in the aftermath of the publication of the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. Since providing that response two further properties have been fully transferred under the terms of the Indemnity Agreement. Those properties are:
- Kidron, Old Chapel, Bandon, Co. Cork, valued at €266,700; and
- St. Patrick’s, Upton, Co. Cork, valued at €4,445,000.
Both properties have transferred to the ownership of the Health Service Executive.
The completion of these transfers brings to 50 the number of properties fully transferred under the Indemnity Agreement. The total value of these properties is €48,466,175 which represents 76.4% of the total monetary value of all properties transferring under this aspect of the agreement. Cash contributions of €54.42 million due under the Agreement have been paid in full while information has been provided to my Department that confirms that counselling services in excess of the €10 million provided for in the Agreement have been funded directly by the contributing congregations.
A list of the remaining properties which have yet to be fully transferred, and in relation to which work is continuing to complete the legal requirements to finalise the transfer process, is set out below. In most cases these properties are currently in use by the intended recipients.
Respite Centre, Garretstown, Co. Cork
10 The Priory, Old Chapel, Bandon, Co. Cork
Former Old Schoolhouse, Garretstown, Co. Cork
Mounthawk Secondary School, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Waterpark National School, Newtown Road, Waterford
Cork Street, Dublin 8
Coiscéim, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford
Emohruo, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford
Sacred Heart Centre, Waterford
Land and buildings at Lota, Glanmire, Cork
Moate National School, Aghanargit, Co. Westmeath
For the sake of completeness I should point out that since my November reply no additional cash contributions have been made under the 2009 voluntary offers and no further property transfers have been fully completed.
112. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when 2017-2018 staffing schedules will issue to schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6577/17]
View answerTeacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing arrangements at both primary and post primary level for the 2017/18 school year are currently being finalized and will be published on the Department website in the next few weeks. Staffing schedules for the 2017/18 schools year will also issue at this time.
113. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his officials in the building unit will visit and engage with a school (details supplied) in County Kildare regarding its planned extension which is urgently needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6594/17]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme (2019-2021). My Department is aware of the school's accommodation needs and will be liaising with the school in due course in the context of the proposed project.
