Written Answers Nos 153-164
153. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has engaged with a group (details supplied) in County Cork; if his Department has assessed the need for a new special primary ASD school in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20932/17]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that new schools are established to meet demographic demand. In general, the Department's policy is to integrate children with special educational needs into the mainstream school system wherever possible. Many of our schools have special education units included within them. However, Special Schools are also necessary to meet the educational needs of pupils whose needs cannot be adequately catered for in a mainstream school.
The need to establish a new special school would normally be first identified by the National Council for Special Education in conjunction with the Department when they identify gaps in special needs provision in a given area.
The National Council for Special Education has advised my Department that there is an emerging need for a number of Special School placement options in the Cork area and are currently engaging with my Department in evaluating options, including a number of options which have been identified in correspondence from the group of parents to which the Deputy has referred.
In addition, major building projects for a number of special schools in Cork are included on the Department's Capital Programme (2016 – 2021)
Holy Family Special School, Charleville, RN 19433M
School of the Divine Child, Ballintemple RN 15781P
St Killian’s School, Bishopstown, RN 19410A
St Kevin’s School, Infirmary Road, RN 19788D
The projects include extensions and replacement schools while also providing for additionality where possible.
I understand that the ‘Parents for a new Special School in cork’ Group have received a number of responses to their correspondence already and that a further response will issue shortly.
In the meantime the Department is grateful for the proposals submitted and can confirm that the suggested sites identified by the Group are being investigated and are under active consideration with a view to ensuring appropriate provision is in place to meet emerging needs in Cork.
154. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a grant for emergency repair to a prefab roof in a school (details supplied); when the school can expect to draw down the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20945/17]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school authority in question has received the first instalment (70%) of their emergency works grant. The final 30% will be paid on receipt of confirmation that the works have been completed.
155. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the new pilot projects for school clusters to test effective interventions and provide evidence for future resourcing proposed under the school support programme. [20950/17]
View answerThe establishment of the School Excellence Fund fulfils an important Programme for Government commitment aimed at promoting excellence and innovation in the school system.
A key element of DEIS Plan 2017 is its focus on a pilot approach to identifying and supporting effective interventions, and exploring how these and further creativity around teaching and learning can make better use of the resources available to schools to achieve good educational outcomes.
To make this happen, DEIS Plan 2017 sets out the arrangements for the establishment of a School Excellence Fund to encourage schools to adopt more creative and innovative approaches to tackling educational disadvantage.
As set out in the DEIS Plan, the Fund will be trialled in a first group of schools during the coming school year, with priority being given to proposals from schools serving the most disadvantaged communities.
Areas of activity to be considered for piloting include:
- Encouraging strategic clustering and networking of schools in acutely disadvantaged areas;
- Leveraging evidence informed good practice in meeting the needs of students at risk of educational disadvantage;
- Promoting collaborative cultures among teachers within schools and between schools, and between schools and early years settings;
- Developing and building on relationships with local community organisations and businesses to support the work of schools;
- Connecting schools with supports and resources tailored to their needs through individualised brokerage and constructive challenging;
- Enhancing school leadership and better equipping teachers to meet the needs of their pupils;
- Improving parental engagement and participation in student learning;
- Supporting transitions across the education continuum.
Work on this is well advanced and I will be in a position to make an announcement on this shortly.
156. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason persons (details supplied) are unable to access the school transport scheme to attend a school. [20953/17]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
The purpose of the Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest education centre.
Children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
In relation to school transport provision, ethos relates to religious ethos and is in the context of provision for minority religions.
157. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a leeway given to persons that apply for student grant applications that have disabilities when applying for education grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20958/17]
View answerApplications for the means tested student grant scheme are made to SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) and consideration of applications is applied equally to all applicants.
Students experiencing difficulties in completing their application forms, due to issues relating to a disability, can contact SUSI for assistance as follows:
Phone: 076-1087874, E-mail: support@susi.ie, Twitter: @susihelpdesk, Facebook: Facebook.com/susisupport
In recognition that people with disabilities may have experienced a negative impact on their education, a number of measures are in place to promote access to higher education for students with disabilities.
The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) allocates funding to approved colleges of further and higher education for the delivery of key services, reasonable accommodations and supports for learners with disabilities on full-time approved courses. The institutions are responsible for the management and allocation of the Fund at local level throughout the year.
Other support measures include the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) scheme, and a network of Disability Officers working within each higher education institution.
158. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the recommendations of a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20963/17]
View answerThe Government remains committed to implementing the recommendations of the Ryan Report. The commissioning of a Memorial to recognise the suffering of abuse victims in State run institutions was one of the recommendations.
To commission this, an international competition was held and the winning entry was called the Journey of Light and was designed by Studio Negri and Hennessy & Associates. The design concept was that the Memorial would be integrated with the Garden of Remembrance and would provide an enduring symbol of lost innocence to inspire future generations to ensure the protection of all children.
However, An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the Memorial in November 2013 on the grounds that it would have an adverse impact on the setting, character and function of the Garden of Remembrance.
It was suggested that a central Dublin location could be identified on a cost neutral basis with appropriate zoning which could be used as a site for the Memorial. However, the winning design uses the physical features of the Garden of Remembrance site and the design cannot be created on a different site. None of the other designs entered for the competition were considered appropriate to be commissioned.
The Department is considering how best to progress the project. The Department is engaging with potential interested parties with a view to seeing whether a permanent exhibition in a public institution might provide an appropriate way for the nation to remember the abuse that was suffered in redress institutions and to acknowledge the experience of survivors which is part of our national history.
A capital provision of € 500,000 is provided for the Memorial in the 2017 Revised Estimates Volume.
159. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if persons can still make a submission and give evidence to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse - Ryan report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20964/17]
View answerThe Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has ceased receiving submissions or hearing evidence. It published its final report (the Ryan report) in May 2009. Should a survivor wish to tell his/her story of institutional life, there is a national confidential counselling service available run by the HSE.
160. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when construction will commence on a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20967/17]
View answerThe commencement notice for the project referred to by the Deputy was lodged on 24 April 2017 and subject to no issues arising construction will commence in May 2017.
161. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress KWETB has made in securing accommodation for a school (details supplied) in view of the fact that it is due to open in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20968/17]
View answerMy Department will continue to work closely with the Education and Training Board and An Foras Pátrúnachta in relation to the provision of appropriate accommodation for the establishment of the Gaelcholáiste and has been in contact with both parties recently in this regard.
Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board is continuing to examine the options for accommodation for the Gaelcholáiste which will involve consideration of the timing and availability of appropriate infrastructure in the Maynooth area.
162. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the design team for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare has submitted the stage 2b submission, including a review arising from changes in public work contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20969/17]
View answerI can confirm for the Deputy that the school and its design team have not yet submitted the report to my Department.
163. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received the tender documents and stage 2b documentation for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20970/17]
View answerThe documents referred to by the Deputy are awaited from the Design Team. Upon receipt and review of the Stage 2(b) report my Department will revert to the school with regard to the further progression of the project at that time.
164. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when tender documents will be prepared for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of the fact that planning permission for the new school was granted on 21 April 2017; the timeframe for completing the project; the expected opening date for the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20971/17]
View answerThe delivery of the project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board for delivery. As the Deputy is aware planning permission has recently been granted for this project.
The ETB are currently reviewing the planning conditions to evaluate any possible implications on design and cost. Once this evaluation has been completed the ETB will submit a Stage 2B cost check to my Department for approval and complete the preparation of tender documents. It is not possible at this stage to give a date for the opening of the new school building.
