Written Answers Nos. 167-191
167. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the cost of upgrading information technology systems and-or databases to incorporate the use of Eircode postcodes; if the use of Eircode postcodes is mandatory in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8632/17]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not incurred any cost in upgrading of Information Technology Systems and Databases to incorporate the use of Eircode.
Since the introduction of Eircode, efforts made by my Department in implementing it include incorporating Eircodes into all departmental/office addresses on our websites, on new stationery and in email signatures. In addition, the relevant Eircodes are included in public consultation exercises, publications, presentations and other corporate communications.
The Department will continue to incorporate Eircode into new systems, forms and processes as they are developed.
168. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether it is appropriate for accounting companies (details supplied) to advertise the facilitation of payment of 0% tax rates to foreign companies that may wish to do business here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8659/17]
View answerIreland has a number of different rates which are applicable within our corporation tax regime.
Primarily we have our headline rate of 12.5%. The 12.5% rate is for trading income unless the income is from an excepted trade in which case the rate is 25%. Excepted trades include certain land dealing activities, income from working minerals and petroleum activities. Ireland also has a 25% corporation tax rate for non-trading income (e.g. investment income, rental income). Additionally, our regime has a 33% rate which is applicable to chargeable gains.
The Knowledge Development Box also provides an effective 6.25% rate of corporation tax on profits from certain qualifying assets that are earned by a company, chargeable to corporation tax in the State, to the extent that the assets relate to R&D undertaken by that company.
I assume that the question refers to the taxation of Irish collective investment funds. The normal tax treatment afforded to Irish collective investment funds is that the funds invested are allowed to grow on a tax-free basis within the fund. The income is taxed at the level of the investor rather than the fund, as is standard international practice.
In order to ensure that the appropriate tax is collected from Irish investors, funds are obliged to operate an exit tax regime and remit the tax deducted in this manner to Revenue. This charge to tax does not apply in the case of unit holders who are non-resident. In the case of non-resident investors, their liability to tax on gains from the fund will be determined in their home jurisdiction.
The broad rationale for exempting such funds from direct taxation is to facilitate individuals to invest collectively, without suffering double taxation (that is, taxation both within the fund and in the hands of the investor on distribution). Most OECD countries now have a tax system that provides for neutrality between direct investments and investments through a Collective Investment Vehicle/Fund.
It is worth noting that due to the changes that I made in Finance Act 2016 this does not apply to collective investment vehicles where 25% or more of the fund derives its value from Irish real estate assets. In such a case the vehicle is deemed to be an Irish Real Estate Fund. Certain payments from an Irish Real Estate Fund to non-resident investors are subject to withholding tax.
169. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Finance if he will address an issue with regard to spiralling insurance costs for the road passenger industry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8679/17]
View answerAs Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the development of the legal framework governing financial regulation. Neither I nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can interfere in the provision or pricing of insurance products, as these matters are of a commercial nature, and are determined by insurance companies based on an assessment of the risks they are willing to accept. This position is reinforced by the EU framework for insurance which expressly prohibits Member States from adopting rules which require insurance companies to obtain prior approval of the pricing or terms and conditions of insurance products.
However, I do accept that it is possible for the State to play a role in helping to stabilise the market and deal with factors contributing to the cost of insurance. Consequently, I established the Cost of Insurance Working Group and appointed Minister of State Eoghan Murphy as Chair. The Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance was finalised in December 2016, approved by Cabinet on January 10 2017, and subsequently published. It contains 33 recommendations and 71 actions which are detailed in an action plan contained in the Report with agreed timelines for implementation. Work on carrying out these recommendations is well underway and I am confident that the report's 71 action points will be implemented by the end of 2018, with 45 due for completion this year. The Working Group continues to meet regularly and will report on a quarterly basis detailing its progress.
With regard to the road passenger industry in particular, the issues are in the main similar to those affecting drivers generally. While there is no silver bullet to reduce the cost of insurance, cooperation and commitment between all parties can deliver fairer premiums for consumers, including coach companies, without unnecessary delay. Greater co-operation will result from the implementation of the report's recommendations and will lead to greater stability in the pricing of motor insurance and will help prevent the volatility that we have seen in the market in the past. It should also better facilitate potential new entrants to the market.
170. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if NAMA has been requested to provide information to the Comptroller and Auditor General in 2016 or to date in 2017 in relation to certain sales it has been party to regarding the closed, non-competitive nature of the sales process; if so, the details of each such transaction and the information which has been provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8683/17]
View answerI am taking the Deputy's question to refer to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General's current review of NAMA as required under Section 226 of the NAMA Act 2009.
The Deputy will be aware that the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Section 226 review which "shall assess the extent to which NAMA has made progress toward achieving its overall objectives" is currently ongoing and is focusing on a number of recent transactions.
Neither I nor my Department have been approached by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General in relation to this review and so would have no information regarding the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General's process and scope. In addition, as this review is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for NAMA or the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General to divulge what information is being requested by and provided to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General as relating to its work.
172. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide the documentation regarding the agreement he referred to with the British Government that there will be no return to the Border of the past; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8711/17]
View answerIreland has a strong and unequivocal position on our priorities for dealing with Brexit. These are minimising the impact on trade and the economy, protecting the Northern Ireland Peace Process, maintaining the Common Travel Area and influencing the future of the European Union.
As the Taoiseach has stated publicly, the Irish Government will oppose a hard border, argue for free movement on this island, seek EU funding for cross-border projects and protect the rights of EU citizens, whether from North or South.
As the Taoiseach has also stated, it is a matter of vital national interest for Ireland that we do not return to the days of a hard border, or indeed create a new one in the future; this is a political matter, not a legal or technical matter - it will have to be solved by political leadership and will require creativity, imagination and innovation. In all of our discussions with the UK Government we have emphasised the necessity of ensuring the continued free flow of trade on the island and the need to avoid a hard border and have made clear that any manifestation of a hard border would have very negative consequences.
173. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Finance if his Department has plans to reduce the threshold of €12,800 to qualify for an approved minimum retirement fund pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8723/17]
View answerI am informed by Revenue that an individual in a defined contribution pension savings arrangement has the option of putting the funds accumulated under the arrangement into an Approved Retirement Fund (ARF) on retirement, subject to conditions.
Where such an individual is under the age of 75 at the time of exercising the option and does not meet the requirement of having a minimum guaranteed pension income for life of €12,700 per annum (rather than €12,800) he or she is required to set aside an amount of €63,500 (or the remainder of the pension fund if less than €63,500 after taking a retirement lump sum) by investing the amount in an Approved Minimum Retirement Fund (AMRF) or by the purchase of an annuity. The purpose of the AMRF is to ensure that an individual, without the minimum guaranteed pension income for life, has a capital nest-egg to provide for the latter years of his or her retirement.
On foot of changes to the AMRF arrangements which I introduced in Finance Act 2014, with effect from 1 January 2015, AMRF owners can draw down up to 4% of the value of the fund assets on one occasion annually until he or she either meets the guaranteed pension income requirement or attains the age of 75, at which point, the AMRF automatically becomes an ARF and any remaining funds can be drawn down at the owner's discretion.
174. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the EU funds his Department accesses; the plans he is putting in place to access these funds to a greater degree in view of Brexit; if he will outline the initiatives he is pursuing to establish access to new funds in view of the challenge of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8806/17]
View answerThe Government is focused on protecting and advancing Ireland's interests before during and after the negotiations. Our priorities are clear: minimising the impact on trade and the economy, protecting the Northern Ireland Peace Process, maintaining the Common Travel Area, and influencing the future of the European Union.
A critical part of our work is ensuring that our priorities are heard and understood across Europe. Therefore, engagement with our EU partners and with the EU institutions is critical. A programme of intense engagement at political and official level is continuing to ensure that the EU's position for the forthcoming negotiations reflects our priorities.
Our preparations for Brexit include detailed engagement with the European Commission, which we have made aware that Brexit is already having an impact on the Irish economy, and of the disproportionate consequences posed by Brexit for the Irish economy overall in comparison to other Member States. In the context of Brexit, it is more important than ever that the EU continues to support economic growth and employment, and those Irish businesses most affected by Brexit.
In this regard, as announced at the opening of the new European Investment Bank (EIB) office in Dublin on 12 December 2016, the European Investment Fund (EIF) have provided a €100 million COSME counter-guarantee facility to the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), Ireland's National Promotional Institution for SMEs. This facility will be used to support the €150 million Agri Cash Flow Support Loan Fund, announced on Budget Day, which was developed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DFAM) in conjunction with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland.
The SBCI has also submitted an application for the EU budget supported InnovFin (Finance for Innovators) Guarantee Programme and is currently engaging with potential partner banks on creating a pilot program for a guaranteed loan product.
Separately, the EIB and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) have recently announced an agreement to support a €112 million investment in privately owned forests across Ireland. This new engagement with Dasos, a specialist forestry investment fund, is the first forestry project in the EU to be supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI). The ISIF will provide €55 million and the EIB, through EFSI, will provide €28.5 million for the scheme. Additional support is expected from other investors as the initiative progresses. The scheme will seek to address issues faced by small scale forests across the country by working to improve forest management and strengthen the supply of wood for commercial use. The investment will support crucial upgrades to Ireland's forestry infrastructure, through the consolidation of its management. The EFSI is an important additional funding option alongside the EIB's normal lending.
More generally, the EIB is also providing €400 million of long-term funding at attractive rates to the SBCI so that it can improve access to finance for the SME sector, thus supporting SME growth and investment through the provision of flexible, lower cost and longer term loans.
175. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills if persons are required to hold a valid construction skills certification scheme trainee card during the time they are building up their six months' experience on their desired plant or machine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8199/17]
View answer176. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills the persons within SOLAS, the approved training centres and the Health and Safety Authority, who are responsible for checking that CSCS trainee cards are issued and held for a minimum of six months before persons attend training centres for certification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8200/17]
View answer177. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures that are or will be put in place to ensure that operators are only being certified after having held a trainee card for at least six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8201/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 175 to 177, inclusive, together.
Schedule 5 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 sets out the occupations which are covered under the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. Individuals working in construction in any of the occupations listed in Schedule 5 of the Construction Regulations are legally required to be in possession of a current SOLAS CSCS Registration Card. In order to qualify for a CSCS Registration Card applicants are required to have six months experience under direct supervision of a competent supervisor before presenting themselves for the CSCS training and assessment programme. On successful completion of this programme candidates are awarded QQI Certification and are issued with a CSCS Registration Card which is valid for a period of 5 years.
While there is no legal requirement for candidates to hold a CSCS trainee card while attaining the 6 months experience, SOLAS does offer a CSCS New Entrant Plant Operator course as an introduction course for new entrants. The course introduces participants to good practices and provides an opportunity for participants to become familiar with the particular item of plant they intend to operate. The course gives new entrants a good grounding in the safe operation of plant machinery before embarking on their training period on site. On successful completion of this course, participants receive a SOLAS CSCS Trainee Registration Card with an expiry date of two years from the date of the course.
178. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the names and addresses of the 110 schools he plans to provide with additional supports through the DEIS programme 2017 which he announced recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8070/17]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Plan-2017-New-DEIS-Schools-List.pdf
179. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to relieve high levels of over-subscription in schools in the Swords area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8097/17]
View answerMy Department is currently reviewing the demographic data for the school planning area referred to by the Deputy as part of the overall demographic analyses of all school planning areas nationwide. My Department also has been in direct contact with a number of primary schools in the area in respect of their junior infant capacity. In that regard it is understood that at least one school is undersubscribed and has expressed a willingness to enrol further junior infants in September 2017, if necessary. As the Deputy will appreciate, it is important that school size is monitored and that a balance is preserved among all schools in school planning areas to ensure that one school is not expanding at the expense or the viability of another school.
My Department is monitoring the position closely. While the situation may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, the Deputy will appreciate that my Department's main responsibility is to ensure that the existing schools can between them cater for the demand for Junior Infant places in September 2017.
180. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if any of the permanent teaching posts announced in budget 2017, in particular special needs assistance or resource teaching, will be advertised in open competition for teachers with or without panel rights, to afford employment opportunities to those with specialised qualifications in this field during the recruitment process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8102/17]
View answerThe core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The successful operation of the redeployment arrangements is key to the Department's ability to manage within its budget.
After the redeployment process has transacted, each school is permitted to fill any remaining vacancies through open recruitment. This is managed and organised at individual school level.
181. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will investigate the possibility of a specialised transfer system in teaching to allow a change in location for permanent teachers, due to personal circumstances, without incurring the loss of panel rights; if an avenue of appeal exists within his Department or designated offices for special consideration to be given to teachers who have exchanged or transferred to another location but cannot return to their original placement due to extenuating circumstances and seek permanency in a new location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8103/17]
View answerThe provisions of the teacher exchange scheme are set out by my Department in Circular Letter 0017/2015 the contents of which were agreed under the auspices of the Teacher Conciliation Council. The Teacher Conciliation Council is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for Teachers and was set up to deal with claims and proposals relating to the Terms and Conditions of employment of teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission.
The Teacher Exchange scheme is open to primary teachers who are registered with the Teaching Council, have completed probation and who wish to exchange their posts for educational purposes. Educational purposes would include enabling teachers in primary schools to gain experience of teaching in different types of settings. The concept is that teachers will gain a different experience, enrich their knowledge and understanding of their professional work and share this understanding with colleagues.
The minimum period for which an exchange may occur is one year and the maximum is five years.
In 2016 the issue of this limit and the purpose of the scheme were reviewed under the auspices of Teachers Conciliation Council. Having considered the matter and taking into account all circumstances both the union and management partners considered that their preferred option is to retain the existing scheme as set out in the published circular.
However, in response to a request for consideration of a voluntary transfer scheme for Primary Teachers, I have decided to extend the maximum period for which an exchange may occur for those teachers in their fifth and sixth year of exchange for one further year.
182. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide all of the information used in the assessment of primary schools in County Tipperary under the new DEIS programme; the reason the five primary schools in Tipperary town were excluded from the programme; if these schools can be re-examined for inclusion under the DEIS programme in view of the level of disadvantage in Tipperary town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8118/17]
View answerA key element of DEIS Plan 2017 Plan is the availability of a new identification process for the assessment of schools for inclusion in DEIS using centrally held CSO and DES data.
The key data sources are the DES Primary Online Database (POD) and Post-Primary Online (PPOD) Databases, and CSO data from the National Census of Population as represented in the Pobal HP Index for Small Areas which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area. Variables used in the compilation of the HP Index include those related to demographic growth, social class composition and labour market situation. This data is combined with pupil data, anonymised and aggregated to small area, to provide information on the relative level of concentrated disadvantage present in the pupil cohort of individual schools. Further information on the development of the identification process is available in the DEIS Review report which can be found on my Department's website at http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/.
In its initial application, the new identification model has identified that there are schools in disadvantaged areas, not previously included in DEIS, whose level of disadvantage is significantly higher than many schools already in the programme. Accordingly, we are moving as a first step to include these schools within the DEIS School Support Programme.
Schools included in the list published by the Department on 13th February are those whose level of concentrated disadvantage has been identified as being at the same level as the current DEIS category for schools serving the highest concentrations of disadvantage.
Schools which have not been included at this stage, including the schools referred to by the Deputy, are those which have not been identified as having the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage amongst their pupil cohort, under the new model which is fair and objective.
The new DEIS Plan provides for a verification process and any school wishing to seek verification of the information used to assess the level of disadvantage of its pupil cohort may submit an application for same to social_inclusion@education.gov.ie.
It is important to note that the school details published on 13th February represent a first step in the application of the assessment process to support pupils in schools with the highest concentrations of disadvantage. I am fully aware that there are further schools whose concentrated level of disadvantage may not be at the highest level, but may nevertheless be at a level which warrants additional supports for pupils under DEIS.
However, as noted in the DEIS Plan, the implementation of a new objective central data-based model of identifying levels of disadvantage within school populations will be followed by a further programme of work to create a more dynamic model where levels of resource more accurately follow the levels of need identified by that model.
Once this work has been completed, consideration will be given to extending DEIS supports to a further group of schools as resources permit.
In delivering on the DEIS Plan 2017 we must be conscious that there are ongoing changes in demographics which may be more marked in some areas than others. Populations in some areas have changed considerably since schools were originally evaluated for inclusion in DEIS in 2006. The new model may reveal that some schools currently included in DEIS have a level of disadvantage within their school population much lower than that in some schools not included within DEIS. If this turns out to be the case, then we must consider whether it is fair that those schools continue receiving these additional resources, using resources that may be more fairly allocated to the schools with greater levels of disadvantage.
It is important to note that the fact that a school has not been included in the DEIS programme on this occasion does not preclude its inclusion at a later date, should its level of disadvantage warrant the allocation of additional resources.
183. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an bhfuil sé i gceist aige an leithroinnt múinteoirí ex cuóta speisialta do mheánscoileanna ar oileáin a mhéadú ó aon mhúinteoir amháin go 2.5 mhúinteoir ag pointe scála bunúsach; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [8134/17]
View answerTugann mo Roinnse faomhadh do na leithdháiltí múinteoirí ar na scoileanna dara leibhéal ar fad de réir rialacha seanbhunaithe atá bunaithe ar an líon daltaí aitheanta ar an rolla. Cuirtear na critéir maidir le leithdháileadh post in iúl do lucht bainistíochta scoileanna gach bliain agus beidh siad ar fáil ar shuíomh gréasáin na Roinne ag deireadh na míosa. I dteannta le leithdháiltí múinteoirí atá bunaithe ar an mór gcóir ar chóimheasa daltaí le múinteoir, leithdháiltear aon phost múinteoireachta amháin lasmuigh den chuóta ar scoileanna Oileáin. Níl aon athrú ar leithdháileadh don scoilbhliain 2017/18.
De réir na socruithe foilsithe foirnithe ceanglaítear ar gach aon údarás bainistíochta scoile a cuid roghanna ábhair a eagrú laistigh dá leithdháileadh faofa múinteoirí. Faoin údarás bainistíochta scoile atá sé sa chéad ásc foireann múinteoireachta a imlonnú sa scoil, cinneadh ar an raon ábhar a thairgtear agus faoi dheoidh freagracht a ghlacadh as an gcaighdeán múinteoireachta agus foghlama sa scoil.
Ag an iar-bhunleibhéal agus de réir na socruithe atá ann faoi láthair, áit nach mbíonn údarás bainistíochta scoile in ann a chuid tiomantas curaclaim a chomhlíonadh laistigh dá leithdháileadh faofa, breithníonn mo Roinnse iarratais ar thacaíocht bhreise ghearrthéarma i.e., lamháltais churaclaim. Bíonn gá le tacaíocht ghearrthéarma (ar feadh bliana amháin de ghnáth ach gan dul thar 2/3 scoilbhliain) chun cur ar chumas an údaráis scoile freagairt ar dheacracht atá sainaitheanta le freastal ar na tiomantais churaclaim fíor-riachtanacha i leith na ndaltaí laistigh den ghnáth-leithdháileadh foirne.
Beidh mionsonraí an phróisis lamháltais churaclaim a leagan amach leis na critéir maidir le leithdháileadh post agus beidh sé ar fáil ar an láithreán gréasáin.
Tá sás achomharc san áireamh sa phróiseas leithdháilte chomh maith faoina féidir le scoileanna achomharc a dhéanamh in aghaidh an leithdháilte atá ag dul dóibh faoi na sceidil foirnithe. Tá na nósanna imeachta maidir le hachomharc leagtha amach sna socruithe foilsithe foirnithe chomh maith. Feidhmíonn an Bord Achomharc go neamhspleách ar an Roinn agus ní bhíonn dul thar a bhreith.
Is é an dúshlán atá roimh na scoileanna go léir ná a chinntiú go mbaineann siad leas as na hacmhainní atá leithdháilte dóibh a fheabhas is féidir chun na torthaí múinteoireachta agus foghlama a uasmhéadú.
Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and will be available on the Department website at the end of the month. In addition to teacher allocations based largely on pupil teacher ratios, an ex-quota allocation of one teaching post is also allocated to Island schools. There is no change to this allocation in respect of the 2017/18 school year.
In accordance with the published staffing arrangements each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
At post primary level and in accordance with existing arrangements, where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department considers applications for additional short term support i.e., curricular concessions. Short term support is needed (normally for one year but not exceeding 2/3 school years) to enable the school authority to respond to the identified difficulty in meeting essential curricular commitments to pupils within the normal staffing allocation.
The detail of the curricular concession process will be set out with the criteria for the allocation of posts and will also be available on the website.
The allocation process also includes an appeals mechanism under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The appeal procedures are also set out in the published staffing arrangements. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
The challenge for all schools is to ensure that they utilise their allocated resources to best effect to maximise teaching and learning outcomes.
184. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to extend the July provision scheme for autistic children to children with Down's syndrome in 2017, in view of their urgent need for such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8147/17]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government 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 in 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
The policy advice recommends that relevant stakeholders should discuss the development of an national, day activity scheme that provides a structured, safe, social environment for all students with complex special educational needs for one month of the summer holidays.
My officials will engage with officials in the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Health and other relevant stakeholders in regard to implementing this recommendation. There are no immediate plans to extend the existing July Provision Scheme while this process is ongoing.
185. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite a SUSI grant application in respect of a person (details supplied). [8153/17]
View answerThe assessment of grant applications is a matter for the awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to seek to interfere in this statutory based process. However, my officials have informed me that SUSI has recently communicated with this student with a view to finalising her grant application.
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, s/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 outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe.
186. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that are in the DEIS programme by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8198/17]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Plan-2017-New-DEIS-Schools-List.pdf.
187. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the schools in County Donegal that were unsuccessful in obtaining DEIS status following the recent designation; the reason each school was unsuccessful in tabular form; the appeals mechanism open to those schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8236/17]
View answerDEIS is my Department's main policy initiative to tackle educational disadvantage. The DEIS Plan 2017 sets out our vision for future intervention in the critical area of social inclusion in education policy.
I wish to advise the Deputy that a list of all schools in the country indicating their DEIS status of each school for the 2016/17 school year, can be found at the following link:
http://www.education.ie/en/find-a-school. The list in question is set out in a county by county basis.
Schools included in the list published by the Department on 13th February can be found at the following link:
http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Plan-2017-New-DEIS-Schools-List.pdf.
A key element of DEIS Plan 2017 Plan is the availability of a new identification process for the assessment of schools for inclusion in DEIS using centrally held CSO and DES data.
The key data sources are the DES Primary Online Database (POD) and Post-Primary Online (PPOD) Databases, and CSO data from the National Census of Population as represented in the Pobal HP Index for Small Areas which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area. Variables used in the compilation of the HP Index include those related to demographic growth, social class composition and labour market situation. This data is combined with pupil data, anonymised and aggregated to small area, to provide information on the relative level of concentrated disadvantage present in the pupil cohort of individual schools. Further information on the development of the identification process is available in the DEIS Review report which can be found on my Department's website at
http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/
In its initial application, the new identification model has identified that there are schools in disadvantaged areas, not previously included in DEIS, whose level of disadvantage is significantly higher than many schools already in the programme. Accordingly, we are moving as a first step to include these schools within the DEIS School Support Programme.
Schools included in the list published by the Department on 13th February are those whose level of concentrated disadvantage has been identified as being at the same level as the current DEIS category for schools serving the highest concentrations of disadvantage.
Schools which have not been included at this stage, are those which have not been identified as having the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage amongst their pupil cohort.
The new DEIS Plan provides for a verification process and any school wishing to seek verification of the information used to assess the level of disadvantage of its pupil cohort may submit an application for same to social_inclusion@education.gov.ie.
It is important to note that the school details published on 13th February represent a first step in the application of the assessment process to support pupils in schools with the highest concentrations of disadvantage. I am fully aware that there are further schools whose concentrated level of disadvantage may not be at the highest level, but may nevertheless be at a level which warrants additional supports for pupils under DEIS.
However, as noted in the DEIS Plan, the implementation of a new objective central data-based model of identifying levels of disadvantage within school populations will be followed by a further programme of work to create a more dynamic model where levels of resource more accurately follow the levels of need identified by that model.
Once this work has been completed, consideration will be given to extending DEIS supports to a further group of schools as resources permit.
In delivering on the DEIS Plan 2017 we must be conscious that there are ongoing changes in demographics which may be more marked in some areas than others. Populations in some areas have changed considerably since schools were originally evaluated for inclusion in DEIS in 2006. The new model may reveal that some schools currently included in DEIS have a level of disadvantage within their school population much lower than that in some schools not included within DEIS. If this turns out to be the case, then we must consider whether it is fair that those schools continue receiving these additional resources, using resources that may be more fairly allocated to the schools with greater levels of disadvantage.
It is important to note that the fact that a school has not been included in the DEIS programme on this occasion does not preclude its inclusion at a later date, should its level of disadvantage warrant the allocation of additional resources.
188. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if this person is entitled to one to one support; if he will provide clarity on an issue regarding this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8293/17]
View answerThe Special Needs Assistant (S) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills. S support is allocated to schools to support pupils based on their assessed care needs, as opposed to being allocated on the basis of a particular disability diagnosis.
SNA allocations are accordingly not made to individual children, but are made to schools to support the care needs of children with assessed special educational needs in the school.
The consideration of professional reports is an integral part of determining the extent of supports to be provided for pupils with special educational needs. In making allocations to schools, the NCSE takes into account the assessed individual needs of all children with identified needs in the school.
A school's allocation of S support can change from year to year and may be increased or decreased as students who qualify for S support enrol or leave a school. New students with care needs may, or may not, enrol to replace students who have left, for example, or S allocations may be decreased where a child's care needs have diminished over time.
The deployment of Ss within schools is then a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. Department Circular 0030/2014 provides substantial guidance on the deployment and utilisation of Ss within schools. Ss should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom S support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the S support is utilised.
Where a school wishes to appeal the S 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/parent in question, but to date no appeal has been received by the NCSE.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, while parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available the NCSE website.
As the question to which the Deputy refers relates to an individual child, the matter has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply.
189. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports that are available to persons suffering from dyslexia who are returning to adult education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8340/17]
View answerWithin the further education and training sector, a broad range of supports are provided through the Education and Training Boards to support the participation of learners with a disability, including learners with dyslexia. As well as general adult literacy support, specific supports provided for person suffering from dyslexia can include:-
- Access to tutors with specific expertise in the area of dyslexia
- additional 1:1 tutor support, where necessary
- Adaptive technologies such as screen reading software
- Provision of a reader or interpreter service
- Provision of a reader or scribe or extra time during examinations
- Provision of preferred learning-style identification and 'learning to learn' programmes that have particular emphasis on memory and organisational skills
SOLAS supports the Dyslexia Association of Ireland by providing information, offering appropriate support services, engaging in advocacy and raising awareness of dyslexia. In 2016 grants provided by SOLAS to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland were utilised towards the provision of subsidised educational psychological assessments, the provision of an information service and outreach programme on adult dyslexia and towards the development of an information leaflet and poster campaign to raise awareness of adult dyslexia and the supports that are available.
190. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for a school (details supplied) following amalgamation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8355/17]
View answerI can confirm that my Department is in contact with the Patron of the school referred to by the Deputy in the context of the proposed amalgamation and the future use of the referenced school building for educational purposes.
191. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the summer works scheme application from a school (details supplied); when decisions on applications for summer works scheme will be returned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8372/17]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a window replacement (Category 7) application under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017) from the school to which he 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. It is my intention to publish a list of successful applicants in due course.
