Written Answers Nos. 178-195
178. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on teachers being paid different wages for doing the same work solely based on when they began employment; his plans to redress this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22941/17]
View answerAs a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011. This decision also required that such new entrants would start on the first point of the applicable salary scale, which in the case of teachers had the effect of reducing their starting pay by a further 4-5%. Later in 2011, the Government placed a cap on the overall level of qualification allowances that could be earned by teachers.
Subsequently in 2012, following the public service-wide review of allowances, the Government withdrew qualification allowances for new teachers altogether. However, the Government partially compensated for this by deciding that new entrant teachers would henceforth commence on a new salary scale which had a starting point higher than the starting point of the old scale.
The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreement reached with TUI and INTO in September 2016 will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4,600 and €6,700) for new entrant teachers. The agreements also provide for earlier permanency for younger teachers, new promotion opportunities and new flexibilities in working hours. The pay increases for new teachers were also available to ASTI members under the proposals which members recently balloted on.
The agreements have restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more recently recruited teachers and deliver full equality at later points in the scale. This is substantial progress and strikes an equitable balance with other claims for funding on my Department, particularly needs such as enhanced service for children with special educational needs, for disadvantaged schools, for growing schools, for Higher Education and for apprenticeships.
It must be borne in mind that the pay reduction for post-2011 entrants to the public service applied to all public servants and not just teachers, and that any restoration of these measures in respect of teachers would be expected to be applied elsewhere across the public service. While I am not in a position to provide an estimate of the total cost of restoring all post-1 January 2011 entrants in all areas of the public service to the pre-2011 pay scale arrangements, I can say that in the case of education and training sector employees, including teachers, the estimated current full year cost would be in the order of €85 million. Clearly, the cost across the entire public service would be substantially higher.
Further negotiation on new entrant pay cannot focus on just one sector. A broader assessment of pay and new entrant pay across the public service will be informed by the recently published analysis of the Public Service Pay Commission.
The Government established the Commission to examine pay levels across the public service, including entry levels of pay. The Government also supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants.
I accept that the teacher unions have outstanding pay demands and that the new entrant deal does not travel the full distance that they set out to achieve. However, it does represent significant progress, and the door is not closed to the trade union movement seeking to advance the issue further in the context of future public service pay talks. Indeed, negotiations on a successor agreement to Lansdowne Road will shortly get under way.
179. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will sanction a 16-classroom primary school for a school (details supplied); the figures his Department is using to determine demand for primary school places in this locality; if these figures are out of date; if he will facilitate the demand for places in a Gaelscoil in this locality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22945/17]
View answer180. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if new access will be provided for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22946/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 180 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving any communication from the school in question relating to a new physical access to the school.
With regard to the Deputy's question relating to the school's request to expand to a 16 classroom school, I wish to inform him that I recently met with school representatives relating to this matter. Following on from that meeting, I arranged for my officials re-evaluate the demographic pressures surrounding the school's area.
Arising from this analysis, there is currently surplus capacity of 14 mainstream classrooms in the school's catchment area and therefore existing primary schools in the area are capable of catering for both existing and future demand in the area. In that regard, my Department would not be in a position to allow the school to expand into a 16 classroom, 2 stream school at this point in time. My Department will continue to monitor the situation closely and I have since written to the school outlining my Department's position.
182. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons employed by his Department, or by public bodies or agencies funded by his Department, on salaries in excess of €125,000; the areas and organisations in which they work; and the positions or titles of the persons concerned. [22967/17]
View answerThe requested information in respect of my Department and agencies under the aegis of my Department is set out in the following tabular statement.
|
Organisation |
Grade/Job Description |
Nos. earning in excess of €125,000 per annum |
|
Department of Education and Skills |
Secretary General |
1 |
|
Deputy Secretary General |
1 |
|
|
Assistant Secretary General |
6 |
|
|
Chief Inspector |
1 |
|
|
State Examinations Commission |
Chief Executive Officer |
1 |
|
Higher Education Authority (HEA) |
Chief Executive Officer |
1 |
|
National Council for Special Education (NCSE) |
Chief Executive Officer |
1 |
|
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) |
Chief Executive Officer |
1 |
|
SOLAS – Further Education and Training Authority |
Chief Executive Officer |
1 |
|
Assistant Chief Executive Officer – Resources |
1 |
|
|
Executive Director - Strategy & Knowledge |
1 |
|
|
Executive Director - Skills Development |
1 |
183. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position with regard to a new building for a college (details supplied). [22972/17]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a building project for the facility to which he refers was included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme.
The delivery of a building project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site and this process is currently in train.
184. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of PLC, post-leaving certificate, places allocated to each ETB, education and training board; and the number of PLC places actually taken up in each ETB in each of the past three years. [22973/17]
View answerSet out in the following table compiled by SOLAS is the detail of the number of PLC places along with enrolment numbers for each ETB over the last three years.
|
- |
- |
Enrolment Numbers |
Enrolment Numbers |
Enrolment Numbers |
|
Education and Training Board |
Approved Places |
2013/2014 |
2014/2015 |
2015/2016 |
|
Cavan Monaghan ETB |
1,642 |
1,790 |
1,747 |
1,703 |
|
City of Dublin ETB |
7,778 |
8,059 |
7,893 |
7,680 |
|
Cork ETB |
5,384 |
5,012 |
4,939 |
4,832 |
|
Donegal ETB |
185 |
134 |
152 |
149 |
|
Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETB |
3,186 |
3,178 |
3,051 |
2,952 |
|
Galway Roscommon ETB |
1,483 |
1,704 |
1,615 |
1,582 |
|
Kerry ETB |
662 |
725 |
753 |
819 |
|
Kildare Wicklow ETB A |
1,397 |
1,345 |
1,351 |
1,352 |
|
Kilkenny Carlow ETB |
1,350 |
1,255 |
1,202 |
1,149 |
|
Laois Offaly ETB |
440 |
408 |
386 |
396 |
|
Limerick Clare ETB |
1,464 |
1,486 |
1,464 |
1,465 |
|
Longford Westmeath ETB |
515 |
547 |
557 |
426 |
|
Louth Meath ETB |
1,526 |
1,861 |
1,935 |
2,038 |
|
Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB |
1,106 |
1,384 |
1,240 |
1,399 |
|
Tipperary ETB |
945 |
931 |
940 |
865 |
|
Waterford Wexford ETB |
1,773 |
1,653 |
1,685 |
1,671 |
|
ETB Totals |
30,836 |
31,472 |
30,910 |
30,478 |
Enrolment numbers based on PPoD Data 12.05.2017
185. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school transport scheme routes, including the names of the schools involved, for which the authorities have been forced to revise a previous decision (details supplied); the dates in each case on which such a revision came into effect by county for each of the years 2012 to 2016 and to date in 2017 in tabular form; the reason in each case for a reconsideration having been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23003/17]
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.
In general, children are eligible for school transport if they meet the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
Bus Éireann determines distance eligibility by measuring the shortest traversable route, which may be either pedestrian or vehicular from a family's home to their nearest school. The main purpose of this measurement is to identify the distance that families reside from their nearest school and to assess if they meet the distance eligibility criterion for school transport. In the interests of equity, this is applied on a consistent standard basis across the country irrespective of any local circumstances that may impact on travel conditions on particular routes.
Routes are planned and reviewed, over the summer months, based on the locations of children who are eligible for school transport.
Bus Éireann has confirmed that the criteria used for establishing the shortest traversable route have not changed.
187. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23007/17]
View answerEquality and fairness are of course at the heart of everything this Government is trying to do, particularly in the education area where I am particularly focused on creating better opportunities for people from disadvantaged communities in our schools system and in higher education. The recent Budget contained measures to deliver on this.
The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreement reached with TUI and INTO in September will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4,600 and €6,700) for new entrant teachers. The agreements also provide for earlier permanency for younger teachers, new promotion opportunities and new flexibilities in working hours. The pay increases for new teachers were also available to ASTI members under the proposals which members recently balloted on.
The agreements have restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more recently recruited teachers and deliver full equality at later points in the scale. This is substantial progress and strikes an equitable balance with other claims for funding on my Department, particularly needs such as enhanced service for children with special educational needs, for disadvantaged schools, for growing schools, for Higher Education and for apprenticeships.
Further negotiation on new entrant pay cannot focus on just one sector. A broader assessment of pay and new entrant pay across the Public Service will be informed by the recently published analysis of the Public Service Pay Commission.
The Government established the Commission to examine pay levels across the public service, including entry levels of pay. The Government also supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants.
I accept that the teacher unions have outstanding pay demands and that the new entrant deal does not travel the full distance that they set out to achieve. However, it does represent significant progress, and the door is not closed to the trade union movement seeking to advance the issue further in the context of future public service pay talks. Indeed, negotiations on a successor agreement to Lansdowne Road will shortly get under way.
The Framework for Junior Cycle gives students the opportunity to develop a wider range of knowledge and skills – to equip them for further learning, for work, for responsible and active citizenship, and for healthy living. It gives students better learning opportunities, and rewards and recognises non-academic performance and achievements, with a central focus on the student’s quality of life, well-being and mental health. The new junior cycle has been developed on a partnership approach, involving teachers, their unions and many wider interests over a considerable period of time. The new approach draws on the best available international research evidence in order to ensure the best possible learning experience for students at this vital stage of their development. The written exam for English this year has been reduced from a 5 hour exam to a 2 hour exam. This reflects the move to a dual approach to assessment. The Classroom Based Assessments have been introduced to allow students to show their understanding of skills and concepts that would not be possible in an externally assessed examination. This dual approach reduces the focus on one terminal examination and increases the prominence given to classroom-based assessment. This change of emphasis enables teachers to provide really meaningful feedback that helps students to understand how their learning can be improved.
The level of challenge for, and the learning requirement on, students remains at least the same as it currently is. The Junior Cycle builds on existing good practice in teaching and learning. The subject specifications set out very clearly the learning outcomes to be achieved by students. Students will have opportunities to both acquire and apply knowledge and skills. They will be able to demonstrate their understanding of concepts and skills through both ongoing assessment activities and terminal examination.
Concern relating to the new Junior Cycle English examination has arisen on foot of many students’ experience of the mock examination which they undertook in their schools in January/February of this year. Mock examinations in Ireland are sourced by schools from a number of commercial suppliers nationally. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has no role in producing mock examination papers.
The Croke Park hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements that require all public servants to work additional time for no additional payment.
The Croke Park hours represent a real reform with significant benefits for parents and children. In schools, the Croke Park hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary (36 hours at primary) worked by teachers. They are a valuable resource within the school system which allow certain essential activities involving the entire teaching staff or groups of teachers to take place. These include staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development.
Before the Croke Park hours were introduced, these activities ate into tuition time. This meant that schools closed for full days or half days in order to carry them out, causing interruption to tuition and significant inconvenience for parents, as well as child care costs – particularly for primary parents.
It is important to note that many public servants committed significantly more hours than this under the public service agreements. Across the public services – education, health, local authorities, civil service etc. - the additional time being provided represents about 450,000 additional hours per annum or the equivalent of between 12,000 and 13,000 public service posts. That is a serious productivity benefit for the Exchequer. Replacing those hours would cost hundreds of millions of euro.
In response to concerns expressed by teacher trade unions regarding the use of the Croke Park hours, my Department agreed with TUI and INTO to carry out a review of their usage under the Lansdowne Road Agreement. This review, which also involves the school management bodies is now under way and will have regard to teacher professional judgement, system and school requirements and experience to date of best practice in the use of the hours.
The review provides for an up-front increase in the quantum of time allowed for planning and development work on other than a whole-school basis. The original Croke Park Agreement provided that all Croke Park hours (36 for primary and 33 for post-primary annually) would be worked on a whole-school basis. The Haddington Road Agreement provided that up to 5 of the hours could be worked on a less than whole-school basis (e.g. small groups of subject teachers). The recent agreement increases this maximum to 8 hours in September 2016 and 10 hours in September 2017.
188. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school building projects for both permanent and temporary accommodation; the cost of this expenditure for each of the past five years in circumstances in which the funding was provided to build accommodation on lands owned by religious orders, dioceses or parishes in the Roman Catholic, Protestant and other religions and faiths; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23074/17]
View answerA total of 239 large scale projects were completed over the five year period 2012 to 2016. These large scale projects comprise 141 new schools and 98 large scale extensions.
The 239 completions include 124 large scale projects that are in the ownership of the State (including PPP schools for which special licensing arrangements are in place).
The remaining 115 large scale projects were delivered in respect of schools that are not in the ownership of the State. Expenditure in respect of these 115 projects (including building certificates and fees) is as follows:
|
Year |
€ Million |
|
2012 |
96.9 |
|
2013 |
63.5 |
|
2014 |
89.7 |
|
2015 |
86.2 |
|
2016 |
36.6 |
In some instances, further expenditure in relation to retentions and final accounts may be outstanding.
189. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 219 of 9 May 2017, in view of the fact section 7(7) of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 states that Caranua may enter into contracts with persons with the approval of the Minister, if he has had discussions with the board of Caranua regarding the accommodation arrangements of that organisation and future accommodation arrangements, including the estimated costs of such accommodation. [23102/17]
View answerMy Department is aware of Caranua’s need to source alternative office premises and has had discussions with it in that regard. However, as I noted in my previous reply it is Caranua’s responsibility to procure its own accommodation and meet any related expenses. A request for ministerial consent in relation to aspects of Caranua’s relocation to new office premises is being dealt with under section 7(7) of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012.
190. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount which was paid by his Department for the Bord na gCon site at Harold's Cross, Dublin; and if the property was put out to tender on the open market. [23113/17]
View answerNo payment has been made by my Department to Bord na gCon at this point.
The current status is that a formal offer of €23 million has been made, and accepted by Bord na gCon. The matter is subject to contract and the acquisition will be subject to the satisfactory completion of the conveyancing process.
The sale is subject to the standard approvals required from the Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
The property was not put out to tender on the open market but rather my Department and Bord na gCon agreed to advance the proposed transfer of the property in line with the mechanism set out in Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circulars 11/2015 and 17/2016: Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets. These Protocols provide for the Valuation Office to provide a mutually binding estimation of value and my Department's offer to Bord na gCon was made on that basis.
The purpose of the Circular is to ensure a strategic approach to the public sector estate as a whole, to ensure that the interests of the Exchequer are protected in terms of utilising state assets. There is a merit in making such property assets available to the State in the first instance, and the protocol ensures fairness to the disposing party by guaranteeing that the price paid is in line with market value.
191. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made to acquire a site for a school (details supplied) in County Louth. [23139/17]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, a project to provide permanent accommodation for the school in question is included on my Department's Capital Programme.
Officials in my Department are liaising with officials in the relevant local authority in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable site for this school. This process is ongoing and all parties are working to advance the process as expeditiously as possible.
While a number of site options have been identified, due to the commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details about them at this time.
192. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a date for the amalgamation of two schools (details supplied) in County Kildare can be confirmed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23152/17]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department recently received correspondence from the Patron of the schools in question relating to a proposal to amalgamate both schools. My Department subsequently sought additional information from the Patron relating to the proposal and this has now been received. My Department will be in further contact with the Patron when the additional information has been considered.
193. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23149/17]
View answerThe person to whom the Deputy refers made an application for retirement on grounds of ill-health in 2015 and subsequently availed of the appeals process in accordance with the procedures outlined in documentation provided to applicants and also available on my Departments website: www.education.ie. The person’s application was unsuccessful.
The statutory basis for ill health retirement pension benefits for members is contained in the Secondary, Community and Comprehensive School Teachers Pension Scheme 2009. The award of ill-health retirement pension is based on the scheme criteria that the scheme member is incapable by reason of infirmity of mind or body of discharging his or her duties as a teacher and that infirmity is likely to be permanent.
Entitlement to retire with a pension on grounds of permanent ill-health is not automatic. When a person makes application for retirement on medical grounds s/he must submit medical evidence from the person’s treating medical advisor for consideration by the Occupational Health Service. The Occupational Health Service provider makes a recommendation as to whether or not the teacher is incapable by reason of infirmity of mind or body of discharging his/her duties as a teacher where that infirmity is likely to be permanent. The Occupational Health Service Provider (as contracted by the Department) is the sole recognised provider of independent medical advice for teachers and employers. The OHS provider is staffed by Occupational Health Specialist Physicians with post- graduate qualifications in occupational health. Following receipt of the recommendation of the Occupational Health Physician, the Department makes a decision to approve or reject the application in accordance with the provisions of the pension scheme. Where an applicant is unsuccessful there is provision for an appeal and details regarding the appeal process are advised to an applicant when s/he is notified that his/her application has not been successful.
Where a significant deterioration in the medical condition of a scheme member occurs and all reasonable treatments have been exhausted, it is open to a scheme member while in service to make a fresh application after a period of one year has elapsed from the date of notification of the refusal of the earlier appeal. Any fresh application will be considered in accordance with the procedures in place.
A teacher who does not satisfy the medical criteria for retirement on ill-health pension, but who is considering retirement, may avail of Cost Neutral Early Retirement where s/he has reached aged 50 years and has un-interrupted service from before 1 April 2004. Pension and lump sum, both actuarially reduced, are payable effective from the date of retirement.
194. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to make provision for the post-primary education needs of children who attend a special school (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23166/17]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in special schools.
Enhanced pupil teacher ratios are provided to special schools to support them in dealing with pupil’s educational needs. In accordance with Circular 0042/2011, Special schools are allocated teaching staff based on their actual current pupil profiles and the disability category of each pupil, as opposed to primarily by school designation.
It is a matter for school authorities to decide how to deploy this resource to cater for the curricular needs of their students. Schools are advised that when making decisions on teaching staff recruitment, to consider that a primary teacher is qualified to teach the full range of subjects as set out in the Primary School Curriculum, whereas a post-primary qualified teacher is usually a specialist in a limited number of subject areas.
195. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to put increased emphasis on teacher training and continued professional development for teachers who teach children on the autism spectrum both at primary and post-primary level in mainstream and special classrooms and units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23167/17]
View answerProgrammes of initial teacher education (ITE) were reconfigured and extended in line with the Teaching Council’s Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers and changes to ITE proposed in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020. Under the reconfigured model, inclusive education, including special education, is a mandatory area of study for all student teachers who are undertaking ITE programmes at primary and post primary levels. The Teaching Council intends to review the criteria and guidelines for programme providers and this will include consideration of the special education content of the programmes.
The Deputy may be aware that a new Regional Support Service has been developed within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in order to assist schools in supporting children with special education needs, including children on the autism spectrum.
The new Service incorporates the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for children who are deaf/hard of hearing and for children who are blind/visually impaired (VTSVHI), which until 20 March 2017 had been managed by my Department. This change is consistent with recommendations of NCSE reports and the review of the VTSVHI.
The Service will provide advice and support to schools on the education and inclusion of students with special educational needs, including children on the autism spectrum. It will provide in-school support for support teachers, continuing professional development for teachers, and support to schools on the management of challenging behaviour. It will also enhance the multi-disciplinary capacity of the education system by providing access to expert knowledge in areas such as autism, speech and language and challenging behaviour.
The NCSE’s reports also recommended that this Service should be used to provide immediate assistance to schools in unplanned and exceptional circumstances, where this is indicated.
The service will have a close relationship with NCSE Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), who will be able to indicate where supports are most needed for schools.
The Deputy should note also that my Department annually funds post-graduate programmes for approximately 400 teachers involved in Learning Support and special education. There are places on these programmes specifically for teachers of students on the autism spectrum.
