Written Answers Nos. 123-131
123. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) is eligible for the school transport scheme for the remainder of the junior cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23422/17]
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 my Department's 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 school.
Under the terms of this Scheme 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.
The change of family address means that the child, referred to by the Deputy, is no longer attending his nearest Post Primary School and is therefore not eligible for school transport.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only which is subject to a number of conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and payment of the annual charge.
The family should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office in Waterford if they wish to get more information on the availability of transport on a concessionary basis, phone number 051- 873401.
124. 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. [23424/17]
View answerAs the the Deputy will be aware my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment.
This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
If the parents of the child, the subject of this question, have specific concerns about his educational progress I would advise, in the first instance, that they speak to the Principal of the school with a view to his/her raising these concerns with the local NEPS Local Office in Naas.
125. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of psychological assessments which have been undertaken by each NEPS service in each of the years from 2012 to 2016, inclusive, and to date in 2017. [23426/17]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases receive assessment services through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have a student assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
I attach for the Deputy’s information a count by calendar year of the number of individual pupils referred to NEPS psychologists in schools nationally. Statistics for 2016 are incomplete as cases undertaken in the 2016/17 academic may not be informed to the NEPS Casetrack database until next summer. The count in 2017 represents referral put on that database to date and are also incomplete.
NEPS psychologists in addition to support of individual pupils outlined in the above referral process provide a range of systemic support and development services to schools including teacher training, organisational / process development and advice, and direct assistance where requested, in the event of a critical incident affecting the school community.
Number by Year of Student Referrals undertaken by NEPS psychologists nationally
|
Calendar Year |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 (**) |
2017(*) |
|
Number |
8,840 |
8,516 |
8,075 |
8,715 |
6,809 |
1,824 |
(*) Year to date and incomplete as yet (see note below)
(**) Not complete as some cases are informed to the Casetrack database over the summer months following the academic year 2016/17
126. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of psychological assessments which have been undertaken by the NEPS service in County Louth in each of the years from 2012 to 2016, inclusive, and to date in 2017. [23427/17]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases receive assessment services through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have a student assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
I attach for the Deputy’s information a count by calendar year of the number of individual pupils referred to NEPS psychologists in schools in Co. Louth. Statistics for 2016 are incomplete as cases undertaken in the 2016/17 academic may not be informed to the NEPS Casetrack database until next summer. The count in 2017 represents referral put on that database to date and are also incomplete.
NEPS psychologists in addition to support of individual pupils outlined in the above referral process provide a range of systemic support and development services to schools including teacher training, organisational / process development and advice, and direct assistance where requested, in the event of a critical incident effecting the school community.
Number by Year of Student Referrals undertaken by NEPS psychologists in Co. Louth
|
Calendar Year |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 (**) |
2017(*) |
|
Number |
201 |
248 |
182 |
235 |
147 |
30 |
(*) Year to date and incomplete as yet (see note below)
(**) Not complete as some cases are informed to the Casetrack database over the summer months following the academic year 2016/17
127. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of psychological assessments which have been undertaken by each SCPA service in each of the years from 2012 to 2016, inclusive, and to date in 2017. [23428/17]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases receive assessment services through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have a student assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. SCPA is utilised, in the main, where as yet unfilled vacancies exist in NEPS staffing provision locally due to resignation or retirement, etc. or where staffing resource is lost temporarily through extended leave (maternity, sick or carer’s leave).
I might add that all schools are able to access full NEP supports in the event of a critical incident irrespective of their having ongoing access to an assigned NEPS psychologist or not.
I attach for the Deputy’s information a count by calendar year of the number of SCPA assessments paid for by my Department to schools countrywide.
Number by Year of Educational Psychological Assessments paid for by NEPS under the SCPA scheme for Schools nationally
|
Calendar Year |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017(*) |
|
Number of SCPA Assessments |
2,031 |
2,063 |
1,634 |
1,726 |
2,151 |
1,185 |
(*) Year to date
128. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of psychological assessments which have been undertaken by the SCPA service in County Louth in each of the years from 2012 to 2016, inclusive, and to date in 2017. [23429/17]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases receive assessment services through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have a student assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. SCPA is utilised, in the main, where as yet unfilled vacancies exist in NEPS staffing provision locally due to resignation or retirement, etc. or where staffing resource is lost temporarily through extended leave (maternity, sick or carer’s leave).
I might add that all schools are able to access full NEP supports in the event of a critical incident irrespective of their having ongoing access to an assigned NEPS psychologist or not.
I attach for the Deputy’s information a count by calendar year of the number of SCPA assessments paid for by my Department to schools in County Louth.
Number by Year of Educational Psychological Assessments paid for by NEPS under the SCPA scheme for Schools in Co. Louth
|
Calendar Year |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017(*) |
|
Number of SCPA Assessments |
129 |
54 |
49 |
142 |
102 |
110 |
(*) Year to date
129. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount spent by his Department on renting car park spaces in each of the years from 2011 to 2016, inclusive, and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23448/17]
View answerFor the Deputy's information, the Office of Public Works provide the premises and ancillary facilities used as Department's offices. In some cases, car parking is provided as part of these arrangements. The Department also contracts car parking facilities directly in a small number of locations as the staff require their cars for official purposes and must transfer significant materials that are confidential and contain personal data. The following table lists, by year, expenditure from my Department's budget on renting car park spaces.
|
Year |
Total rental paid |
|
2011 |
€9,436.00 |
|
2012 |
€9,408.00 |
|
2013 |
€8,346.90 |
|
2014 |
€10,570.10 |
|
2015 |
€18,455.97 |
|
2016 |
€20,322.96 |
|
2017 |
€12,953.99 |
130. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount spent by bodies and agencies under the aegis of his Department on renting car park spaces in each of the years from 2011 to 2016, inclusive, and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23464/17]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy in regard to state bodies under the aegis of my Department is not routinely collated by my Department.
Officials are making enquiries with its aegis bodies and will supply the information sought by the Deputy as soon as possible.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 130 (23464/17) of the 17th May 2017 in which you sought details of the sums spent by State Bodies under the aegis of my Department renting car parking spaces in each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017.
Inquiries have been made with the bodies under the aegis of my Department who advise in many cases that car parking facilities are provided as part of the supply of premises and ancillary facilities to State Bodies. However, I am advised that payments, for for car parking spaces, were made by four bodies within the timeframe specified.
The table identifies the expenditure incurred by the four respective bodies within the timeframe specified.
Expenditure Incurred on the Rental of Car Parking Spaces by Bodies under the Aegis of the Department of Education and Skills
|
Year |
Skillnets € |
Higher Education Authority (Including the Irish Research Council) € |
National Council for Special Education € |
SOLAS € |
Total Sums Incurred by Aegis Bodies in Respective Years € |
|
2011 |
18,450 |
Nil |
4,193 |
Nil |
22,643 |
|
2012 |
18,450 |
Nil |
4,262 |
Nil |
22,712 |
|
2013 |
9,840 |
Nil |
3,696 |
Nil |
13,536 |
|
2014 |
9,840 |
Nil |
2,000 |
47,970 |
59,810 |
|
2015 |
9,840 |
13,570 |
1,833 |
58,725 |
83,968 |
|
2016 |
9,840 |
39,000 |
1,667 |
52,830 |
103,337 |
|
To date in May 2017 |
4,920 |
13,000 |
833 |
17,160 |
35,913 |
|
Total Sum Incurred by Respective Bodies |
€81,180 |
€65,570 |
€18,484 |
€176,685 |
|
|
Cumulative Total Incurred by DES Aegis Bodies |
€341,919 |
131. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills when building works will commence on a school (details supplied) in Drumcondra. [23491/17]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers is to provide a new 350 student post primary school with an MDVI (Multiple Disability and Visual Impairment) unit, at the site of existing school building.
Planning Permission for this new school was lodged with Dublin City Council at the end of January 2017. A decision is currently awaited from Dublin City Council on this application.
Once planning permission is received and reviewed, my Department will then be in contact with the school authorities as regards the further progression of this project.
