Written Answers Nos. 368-387
368. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount allocated per year in each primary school budget in County Kildare for its board of management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37906/17]
View answer369. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount allocated per year in each secondary school budget in County Kildare for its board of management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37907/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 369 together.
Boards of Management of primary and voluntary secondary schools operate on a voluntary basis and should not therefore impact on school budgets.
370. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an appeal (details supplied). [37948/17]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
During the 2016/17 school year almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million km annually.
The School Transport Appeals Board, which is independent of my Department, has considered the appeal in question and the family have been notified of their decision.
371. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37990/17]
View answerUnder the direction of my Department’s management board, the EU/International Unit under the leadership of a Deputy Secretary General is working with Departmental divisions and agencies on analysing and prioritising issues for input to the negotiation phase. Between December and January the unit oversaw extensive engagement that I and Minister of State, Deputy John Halligan had with the education sector in the form of four Brexit consultation fora for the higher, further education and training; and primary and post-primary education sectors. This was supplemented by a joint Enterprise Skills Brexit stakeholder consultation on 3 July 2017, led by the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, at which both I and Minister of State Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor participated.
The EU/International Unit has also supported my engagement at political and institutional level on our Brexit agenda. I have met counterparts Peter Weir and Simon Hamilton of the NI Executive, and most recently met with the UK’s Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening. Meetings were also held with the former Minister of State for Exiting the EU, David Jones, the UK’s Opposition Spokesperson on Brexit, Keir Starmer, as well as members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Irish in Britain. Meetings have also taken place with Ministers from other EU Member States and with representatives of the EU Commission including Commissioner Navracsics.
The EU/International Unit of my Department has been given overall responsibility for co-ordinating our response to Brexit. This Unit has been prioritising Brexit work to date and will keep staffing requirements under constant review.
In discharging its Brexit-related functions, the EU/International Unit participates in the Inter-Departmental senior officials group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, which co-ordinates the whole-of-Government response to the outcome of the UK referendum, and supports the Cabinet Committee on the European Union including Brexit. This is further underpinned by the unit's active engagement with other Departments in Brexit Workgroups on the Economy and Trade; the Common Travel Area; and European Union Programmes - three of the six sectorial workgroups established to provide key sectorial or thematic advices to the Cabinet Committee and Government. The unit also chairs the Education and Research subgroup under the Economy and Trade strand of co-ordination. The subgroup includes relevant areas within the Department and relevant agencies of the Department and other Departments/agencies.
As specific issues on the negotiations agenda emerge, the Department will ensure timely, focused inputs from the relevant policy areas and external stakeholders, through appropriate consultative mechanisms.
Significant additional resource requirements are not envisaged during the negotiation phase, but for those that will arise, it is anticipated that costs arising can be provided for from within existing Departmental budgets.
372. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of staff deployed full time in his Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38006/17]
View answerUnder the direction of my Department’s management board, the EU/International unit under the leadership of a Deputy Secretary General has been given overall responsibility for co-ordinating our response to Brexit. This Unit has been prioritising Brexit work to date and will keep staffing requirements under constant review.
As specific issues on the negotiations agenda emerge, the Department will ensure timely, focused inputs from the relevant policy areas and external stakeholders, through appropriate consultative mechanisms.
Significant additional resource requirements are not envisaged during the negotiation phase, but for those that will arise, it is anticipated that costs arising can be provided for from within existing Departmental budgets.
373. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the level of construction inflation that has been experienced by his Department in the 18 months to September 2017 in respect of construction projects; the way in which he monitors construction inflation and the mechanisms his Department employs to establish this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38022/17]
View answerThe tender price index published by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland indicates recent construction inflation, averaged across the country, as follows:-
2015 - 5.47%
2016 - 6.34%
The society also forecasts construction inflation for the first half of 2017 at 3.02%. This would indicate an inflation predication for all of 2017 at around 6%. The Department’s experience of construction inflation is broadly similar to the above indices.
The Department publishes a Basic Building Cost limit for primary and post primary schools which provides a guideline to design teams as to the level of specification and design that is appropriate for school buildings. The Basic Building Cost along with site specific Abnormal Costs, External Works costs and Fitted Furniture costs are used to calculate the predicted construction cost of a project ahead of a tender exercise.
The Department’s Basic Building Cost limit was first introduced in 1975 (€136/m2). It reached a peak of €1,230/m2 in June 2006. The cost limit was reduced for the first time ever in November 2009 to €990/m2 (a 19.5% reduction) and again in January 2011 to €930/m2 (a further 6% reduction). The Basic Building Cost limit has undergone three increases since then – April 2014 (€1,050/m2, +12.9%), June 2015 (€1,150/m2, +9.5%), February 2016 (€1,210/m2, +5.2%) and June 2017 (€1,280, +5.8%) and currently stands at €1,280/m2 .
It should be noted that a significant proportion of the recent increases relate to improvements in building standards and not just construction inflation.
The Basic Building Cost limit is regularly adjusted to take account of construction inflation and changes in building standards. The Department continuously monitors tender returns across all major school building projects, as well as trends in labour and materials costs, and periodically adjusts it’s Basic Building Cost limit accordingly
374. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a new NEPS psychologist has been hired for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38056/17]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that a NEPS psychologist will be assigned to the school in question for the 2017/18 academic year. A communication to this effect will issue shortly to the school authorities concerned.
375. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the new premises and site of a school (details supplied) must be located within the boundaries of the Carpenterstown and Castleknock school planning areas in view of concerns by existing secondary schools in Dublin 7 that the new second level school will be located in their school planning areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38057/17]
View answerThe building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is included in the Department’s six year construction programme.
Officials in my Department are liaising with officials in Fingal County Council in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable location for the school.
Potential site options within the boundaries of the Carpenterstown and Castleknock school planning areas were identified and, from these, a preferred option to accommodate the permanent school building has been selected.
Due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to comment further at this stage however the school's patron will be informed of the intended location as soon as it is possible to do so.
376. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that his Department has made in securing funding and resources for the introduction of coding to all primary schools by 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38058/17]
View answerThe NCCA is in the process of developing a new primary mathematics curriculum. Following my request to consider how children’s computational, flexible and creative thinking skills might be developed through this new mathematics curriculum, and how coding might be integrated in the wider primary curriculum, the NCCA is reviewing curriculum policy and practice in other jurisdictions in terms of these areas of children's education at primary level.
Currently the PDST Technology in Education provides training for both primary and post primary teachers in ICT which includes 'Scratch' coding. 5,800 teachers received ICT training in 2016.
Furthermore, a large number of schools are running voluntary coding programmes through initiatives such as Coder Dojo (over 200 dojos in Ireland), Hour of Code, where over 200 events took place in Ireland and the annual computer programming olympiad held at Dublin City University.
Further resources in this area will be looked at in conjunction with the STEM Education policy statement and implementation plan, which I intend to finalise shortly.
377. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his Department’s progress towards the restoration of pay equality for new entrants to the teaching profession since 2010. [38059/17]
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 for public servants to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreements have, to date, 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.
As a result of these changes and taking into account the proposed pay measures under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, the starting salary of a new teacher from 1 January 2018 will be €35,958 and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692. If full equalisation was achieved the starting salary for a post-primary teacher from 1 October 2020 would be €43,879 and for a primary teacher would be €41,511.
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.
However there are other types of equality that we must also bear in mind, for example equality between public servants and people who work elsewhere or do not work at all. It would also not be equal or fair for us to do unaffordable deals with particular groups of public servants that mean that we do not have the money left in the public purse to provide increases in social welfare payments for vulnerable groups, tax reductions for people at work, or investments in improvements in public services that people rely on.
Any further negotiation on new entrant pay is a cross sectorial issue, not just an issue for the education sector. 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.
Accordingly, the recently concluded draft Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 includes a provision in relation to new entrants which states that an examination of the remaining salary scale issues in respect of post January 2011 recruits at entry grades covered by parties to the Agreement will be undertaken within 12 months of the commencement of the Agreement.
378. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the latest CSO statistics in respect of the need for an additional further education and training facilities in Dublin west and east Meath in addition to the new further education campus at Dunboyne to provide QQI courses at levels 1 to 7, for apprenticeships and a range of skills deficit areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38060/17]
View answerThrough the annual service planning process that takes place each year between SOLAS and each Education and Training Board (ETB), ETBs are primarily responsible for the planning of provision to meet the identified needs of learners, enterprise and communities within their regions.
Since 2014, SOLAS and the ETBs work together to produce annual service plans that are informed by national policies and strategies and are grounded in an analysis of local skills demand and labour supply. In the context of this process, funding of the relevant resources is primarily a matter for Dublin Dún Laoghaire and Louth Meath ETB through their annual service planning engagement with SOLAS.
My Department's capital budget is currently fully committed. The Department and SOLAS will be reviewing capital requirements in the further education and training sector in the context of the Government's Mid Term Review of the Capital Plan.
379. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the proposed redevelopment of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38061/17]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a building project for the facility to which she refers was included in my Department's six year capital programme.
The delivery of a building project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site and my Department is in ongoing liaison with Louth Meath Education and Training Board in the matter.
380. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the filling of vacancies on the Higher Education Authority board; the applications sought by the Public Appointments Service to fill vacancies by 7 July 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38062/17]
View answerI have sought expressions of interest for two academic members to fill vacancies on the Higher Education Authority Board through the Public Appointments Service. The closing date for receipt of applications was 7 July 2017. A total of 39 applications were received.
The Assessment Panel has examined all applications and a list of potential candidates will be presented to me shortly.
Once these positions are filled, the Board of the HEA will comprise a Chair and seven academic and seven non-academic members. This satisfies the minimum number of Board members statutorily provided for under the HEA Act, 1971.
381. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of substitute teachers employed by school day on average; if his attention has been drawn to the acute shortage of teachers to fill substitute positions on a daily basis; his plans to address this serious issue for schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38063/17]
View answerThe average number of substitute teachers employed on a daily basis in primary schools is approximately 3,600. Information on the average number of substitute teachers employed on a daily basis in post primary schools is not readily available.
In overall terms, my Department has no evidence of a recent or current shortage of primary teachers. However, I am aware that some schools have experienced difficulty in recruiting adequately qualified substitute teachers, and I am committed to examining all possible means of addressing this issue.
The final report of the Technical Working Group on teacher supply, ‘Striking the Balance’ was published on 9 June 2017. The report focusses on the development of a model of primary teacher supply, while outlining the work which will be required to establish a sustainable long term model of post primary teacher supply. In considering the model of teacher supply at primary level the report took account of many variables, including the number of additional teachers required to cover for teacher absences, such as illness, maternity leave, career break or secondment.
The report sets out an approach to planning the work necessary to develop a model for achieving a better balance between teacher supply and demand in the medium to long term.
Officials of my Department are now considering how the development of a model can be progressed, from within available resources. The necessary actions will include engagement with the HEA in order to ensure that the supply of teachers meets demand and there is the correct balance of teachers in each of the various subject areas at post primary level, as well as measures to address data requirements, particularly at post primary level.
The Deputy will be aware that, in conjunction with the publication of the report, I announced a number of measures to increase the pool of teachers available to schools, in particular to fill short term vacancies. With regard to these measures, my Department informed all teachers retiring in 2017 that in order to remain eligible for employment in a state-funded teaching post for a period of more than five consecutive days or to supervise the State examinations, a teacher must maintain his/her registration with the Teaching Council. In that regard, the Teaching Council also reminds teachers, through the renewal of registration process and where a teacher indicates that he or she is considering leaving the register, that if they wish to continue to work as a teacher following retirement in substitute and other positions they should maintain registration.
The Deputy should note also that my Department has increased the limits for employment while on career break at post primary level to a maximum of 300 hours in a school year and at primary level to a maximum of 90 days in a school year. The matter of the employment of B.Ed and PME students in limited circumstances on a short term basis is still under consideration in my Department.
382. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress his Department has made in respect of the implementation of the Cush Report regarding part time and fixed term employment in third level institutions and in particular her Department’s request in June 2017 that third level institutions establish an adjudication system to hear disputes arising from the implementation of the Cush Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38064/17]
View answerThe Report of the Chair of the Expert Group on Fixed Term and Part-Time issues in Lecturing in Ireland was published in May 2016 and the Report contains a number of recommendations that will assist in addressing concerns raised about the level of part-time and fixed-term employment in lecturing in the third level sector. My Department issued directions to the sector on 4 July 2016 to implement the recommendations contained in the report in accordance with the terms of the Lansdowne Road Agreement and my understanding is that the Institutions are taking steps to do so.
My officials also wrote to the universities on 27 June 2017 requesting that an adjudication system be established to hear any disputes arising from the implementation of the Cush Report.
I understand that the Irish Universities Association has been in contact with the trade unions in regard to the establishment of an adjudicator system with a view to operationalising the adjudication process at an early date.
383. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools under religious patronage he expects to be divested over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38065/17]
View answerThe Government is committed to progressing the development of a dynamic and innovative education system that reflects the diversity of 21st century Ireland. The Programme for a Partnership Government reflects the Government’s objective of strengthening parental choice and further expanding diversity in our school system. The desire of parents for diversity in education is primarily being pursued by increasing the number of non-denominational and multi-denominational schools with a view to reaching 400 by 2030.
The Deputy will be aware that on 30 January, 2017, I announced new plans aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this area.
This will involve the Education and Training Boards in the initial phase, as the State’s local education authorities, identifying areas where there is likely to be demand for greater diversity and they will work with pre-school services to establish evidence of this demand among the cohort of pre-school parents. There will then be discussions between individual ETBs and the existing patrons/landowners concerning the possible transfer of schools to accommodate this demonstrated demand for diversity. My Department is currently working with the Education and Training Board sector and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to develop the process for the identification of demand for diversity at pre-school level.
Each ETB will then prepare a report for the Department outlining the levels of demand within their functional areas and the responses of the existing patrons as to how this might be accommodated through the reconfiguration of existing school provision. The location of these schools is therefore unlikely to become available until after the reports have been submitted.
In the subsequent implementation phase, where the level of demand for multidenominational schools is sufficient to justify transfer of a school from denominational to multi-denominational patronage, a process will commence to give effect to that. There will be a role for the existing patron/landowner in consulting with local community and school interests and taking into account proposals from different prospective multi-denominational patrons. It is envisaged that transfers will largely be by way of voluntary transfer of live schools by existing patrons.
While these new structures are being introduced, my Department will continue to work with the main stakeholders to progress delivery of diversity in areas already identified, in 2017 and beyond.
In addition to progressing the reconfiguration of existing school provision to provide greater choice to parents in areas of stable population, the Government is committed to ensuring that parental preferences will continue to be key to patronage decisions on new schools established in areas of demographic growth.
384. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of the roll-out of the junior cycle process and the implementation of phase 3 from September 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38066/17]
View answerImplementation of the new Framework for Junior Cycle continues to proceed and a number of new subject specifications – English, Science and Business Studies - have already been introduced. From September 2017, new specifications for Irish/Gaeilge, Modern Foreign Languages and Visual Art (formerly known as Art, Craft and Design) are being introduced under phase 3, together with the new area of learning entitled Well-being. Phase 4 sees the introduction of Mathematics, Home Economics, History, Music and Geography.
Provisional examination results for Junior Certificate/Cycle 2017 are being issued by the State Examinations Commission on 13 September. This will be followed towards the end of the year by the issue to students by their schools of the first Junior Cycle Profiles of Achievement.
385. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the preparation of draft guidelines for school buildings out of hours and the implementation of circular letter 16/05 regarding the use of schools for community and adult recreational purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38067/17]
View answerI can confirm that guidelines on the use of school buildings out of hours have been finalised by my Department and are due for publication shortly.
386. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding his department’s work on the General Scheme of Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Amendment) Bill 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38068/17]
View answerI published the General Scheme of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Amendment) Bill on 15 May 2017 following Government approval.
On 18 July 2017 the Joint Committee on Education and Skills determined that the Bill did not require pre-legislative scrutiny.
The Bill has now been referred to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for the appointment of a legislative drafter.
387. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the Technological Universities Bill 2015; the timeframe for it to return to Dáil Éireann; his planned changes to the draft legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38069/17]
View answer459. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans regarding the Technological Universities Bill 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38937/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 459 together.
The Government approved the drafting of insertions and amendments to the Technological Universities Bill 2015, as passed at Committee Stage in Dáil Éireann, on 11 July 2017. The approval is subject to any amendments, including any consequential amendments, deemed necessary by the Office of the Attorney General. Officials from my Department are currently consulting with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government on the drafting of insertions and amendments to the Bill. I intend to introduce the revised Bill at Committee Stage in the new Dáil session at the earliest possible juncture subject to the drafting process.
The main amendments proposed to the Bill are publicly available on the Department’s website www.education.ie
