Written Answers Nos. 246-267
248. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a school in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24511/17]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school referred to for the replacement of a significant level of prefabricated accommodation with a permanent structure to provide classroom and specialised accommodation, together with reconfiguration works within the schools existing building. The application is currently under consideration and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities shortly.
249. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding locating a suitable site to progress the development of a new school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24529/17]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that my Department is working to identify potential site options to accommodate the school to which he refers. In addition to the standard requirements for school sites generally, my Department is seeking to address specific additional aspects which may contribute to the overall suitability of a potential location.
Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide specific information regarding individual site options at this time. I can, however, assure you that my officials are liaising with the school patron to keep them informed of progress in this regard.
256. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the deal he has reached with a union (details supplied) regarding the Technological Universities Bill 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24575/17]
View answerThe Programme for Government outlines that this Government will continue to support the creation of Technological Universities. The third Government Legislative Programme of this new Partnership Government was published on 17 January 2017, and the Technological Universities Bill is listed on the Dáil Order Paper and is awaiting Committee Stage. The Department on behalf of the Minister is conducting a series of consultations with all of the relevant stakeholders in relation to both the matters raised during the legislative process and the commitments contained in the Programme for Government.
As part of this process of consultation, Department officials have recently concluded their consultation with TUI on this matter. A final clarification document has been issued by the Department to the TUI on a range of issues including issues related to superannuation and terms and conditions. The Department understands that the TUI will be putting this document to a ballot of their members in due course.
Following the finalisation of the consultation process the Minister will then advance the legislation having determined a position in relation to any matters raised as part of the consultation process.
257. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to maintain the apprenticeship of cabinet making. [24603/17]
View answer258. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to maintain the apprenticeship of floor and wall tiling. [24604/17]
View answer259. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to maintain the apprenticeship of wood machinist. [24605/17]
View answer260. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to maintain the apprenticeship of print media. [24606/17]
View answer261. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to maintain the apprenticeship of printing. [24607/17]
View answer262. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to maintain the apprenticeship of book binding. [24608/17]
View answer263. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the apprenticeships that have been discontinued or amalgamated since 2007. [24609/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 257 to 263, inclusive, together.
I have been informed by SOLAS that in 2009, following consultation with industry representative stakeholders, it was agreed to amalgamate the apprenticeships of cabinet making, wood machining and wood finishing into a new apprenticeship Wood Manufacturing and Finishing, which reflects the knowledge, skill and competency needs of the sector.
In January 2017 SOLAS suspended registrations to the Print Media Apprenticeship as the print sector was not registering apprentices. SOLAS has engaged with the sector and is currently awaiting clarification on future training requirements.
Within the Print Media programme, relevant technical elements of Book Binding were maintained. The Book Binding Apprenticeship, along with the other print based apprenticeships, were discontinued in 2005.
In March 2017 is was agreed to amalgamate the Plastering and Floor and Wall Tiling Apprenticeships as a means of sustaining floor and wall tiling skills.
Over the period in question, new apprenticeships were developed in Pipefitting and in Stonecutting and Stonemasonry. In addition, 5 new apprenticeships are now in place as a result of the Apprenticeship Council's first call for proposals, with a further 10 planned for the remainder of 2017.
264. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the budget allocation to the Apprenticeship Council in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form. [24610/17]
View answer266. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 117 of 10 May 2017, the allocated amount on apprenticeship spending in 2016 and 2017; and the projected allocation in each of the years 2018 to 2021. [24612/17]
View answer267. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 117 of 10 May 2017, if the €200 million referred to has been accounted for in fiscal space projections; and the impact of the spend of €200 million on net fiscal space in each of the years 2016 to 2021. [24613/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 264, 266 and 267 together.
In 2017, €98.7m has been allocated for apprenticeship training which represents a 40% increase on the 2016 spend of €69.6m. Future years' allocations will be determined through the normal budgetary process which takes account of competing demands and the overall availability of resources.
The Apprenticeship Council is not an executive body and therefore is not a budget holder. Funding for apprenticeship is primarily through SOLAS and the Higher Education Authority. Secretariat to the Council is provided by SOLAS.
|
2016 |
2017 |
2018* |
2019* |
2020* |
2021** |
|
Outturn |
Allocation |
Estimate |
Estimate |
Estimate |
Estimate |
|
€69.6m |
€98.7m |
€135.3m |
€165.8m |
€196.8m |
€220m |
*Figures based on annual target registrations set out in the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship & Traineeship 2016-2020.
**Figure based on registrations in 2021 being the same as 2020.
265. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of guidance counsellors employed in the State in each of the years 2007 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form. [24611/17]
View answerUp until September 2012, an ex-quota allocation was provided for guidance in addition to the standard teacher allocation to post-primary schools. This resource was allocated in accordance with pupil enrolment. 42% of second level schools at the time were allocated at least 22 hours per week in respect of guidance (22 hours being the equivalent of one teaching post) while the remainder of the schools were allocated between 8 and 17 hours of guidance per week.
Since September 2012, at post-primary level guidance, provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. This operates at local school level and therefore the information requested by the Deputy on the number of guidance counsellors in post-primary schools is not available centrally within my Department.
The Action Plan for Education 2016-2019 has a specific action to enhance guidance counselling at second-level as resources permit. A significant move was made in the 2016/17 school year with the restoration of half of the cut in provision for guidance counselling. This was equivalent to the restoration of 300 ex quota posts.
The allocation of a whole time equivalent of an additional 100 teachers to second level schools in Budget 2017 is a restoration of a further 16% of the teaching resources that were removed.
The delivery of this 16% restoration in addition to the 50% restoration in Budget 2016 means that two thirds of the Guidance allocation that was withdrawn in Budget 2012 will be restored in our schools with effect from September 2017.
The 400 posts will be provided in respect of Guidance as a separate allocation on school's staffing schedules from September 2017. The guidance allocation shown separately on the staffing schedules represents 0.4 of the PTR for each school. DEIS schools will have a guidance allocation of 1.15 of the PTR which represents the total guidance allocation that was restored to these schools.
