Thursday, 18 Jan 2018

Written Answers Nos. 97-109

Schools Building Projects

Questions (97)

James Browne

Question:

97. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a solution to the shortage of secondary school places in Wexford town will provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2476/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

As the Deputy is aware, the progression of a number of school building projects in Wexford, including Loreto Secondary School and Wexford C.B.S, as part of my Department's School Capital Investment Programme, will provide for increased capacity in the area.

My Department continues to closely monitor the position in the Wexford area, taking into account the latest pupil enrolment data, the impact of planned expansion of school capacity and developments in the adjacent school planning areas. In that regard, my Department will be in contact with post-primary schools in the Wexford Town area as part of this process.

Question No. 98 answered with Question No. 96.

Schools Building Contractors

Questions (99)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

99. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on reports that a company (details supplied) is in financial difficulties and is seeking to sell on Irish public private partnership, PPP, contracts it has in connection with school construction and maintenance. [2567/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I am aware that the company referred to by the Deputy entered compulsory liquidation earlier this week. It has been a 50% shareholder in Inspiredspaces, the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) responsible for the construction, finance, operation and maintenance of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Schools Bundle 5 programme. This programme will deliver 6 schools on 4 sites in Wicklow, Wexford, Meath and Carlow.

Inspiredspaces continues to be the SPV for the project and the project agreement (i.e. contract) signed with it in July 2016 similarly remains in place. It is now up to the other 50% shareholder in the SPV, Dutch Infrastructure Fund (DIF), to continue to perform the contractual obligations of Inspiredspaces.

My officials will continue to monitor the situation closely and to liaise in relation to next steps with the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) as, through the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), it is responsible for the management of this project agreement on behalf of my Department.

School Patronage

Questions (100, 101)

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

100. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills the public funds allocated to each of the patron bodies for primary and secondary schools in each of the years from 2015 to 2017. [2572/18]

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

101. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supervision there is of public funds allocated to school patron bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2573/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together.

As a matter of policy, my Department does not fund patrons or patron bodies.

My Department does, however, provide annual grants to the recognised management bodies at primary and post primary level to assist them in providing management support to the schools in their sectors.

Management bodies provide important support services for schools on employment, legal, financial and other matters.

The individual management bodies remit reflects the particular patronage of the schools which they serve.

Education and Training Boards

Questions (102)

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

102. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an organisation (details supplied) as a public organisation or a voluntary organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2574/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The organisation to which the Deputy refers is the body recognised in statute as the body which collectively represents Education and Training Boards. It is not established in statute as a public body.

Similar to the funding provided by my Department to school management bodies, an annual grant is provided as a contribution towards the annual general running costs of carrying out its core business.

The Department also supports a number of posts for the purpose of supporting departmental priorities such as driving the reform programme and the Further Education and Training strategy for the sector and supporting linkages with SOLAS.

These supports are provided in accordance with the Department's service level agreement.

Education and Training Boards Expenditure

Questions (103)

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

103. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the funding of the Meitheal programme and the Ember programme by the Education and Training Boards is an endowment of religion in view of the fact that these youth leadership programmes are for students of one particular faith (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2575/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I have asked my officials to provide me with the details from the ETBs involved of the two programmes outlined. I will provide the Deputy with the details when I have had an opportunity to consider them.

School Curriculum

Questions (104)

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

104. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the delivery of relationships and sexuality education, RSE, by an organisation (details supplied) of one particular faith in Kildare and Wicklow ETB schools satisfies the requirement under circular 0037/2010 to have an objective RSE programme; his further views on whether ETB schools should avail of RSE services from one particular faith background; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2576/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Circular 37/2010 requires that schools' RSE policies are developed in consultation with teachers, parents/guardians, members of Boards of Management and students. The RSE policy should reflect the core values and ethos of the school as outlined in the school’s mission statement. Where spiritual, moral or ethical issues arise when teaching RSE, the school’s RSE policy should guide teachers in the treatment of such issues, in accordance with the ethos of the school. However, elements of the programme, such as family planning, sexually transmitted infections and sexual orientation, cannot be omitted on the grounds of school ethos, regardless of who is delivering, or assisting in the delivery of, the RSE programme in the school.

My Department provides clear guidance to schools on the engagement of outside speakers and on the use of external resources to assist in delivering the curriculum. These guidelines are outlined in circulars 0022/2010 and 0023/2010 for primary and post-primary schools respectively. These circulars are currently being updated.

Where an outside speaker is engaged by a school, he or she should be engaged in the context of delivering a planned and comprehensive programme in the school. He or she should not be brought in to replace the school programme but to enhance it. It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that outside speakers are aware of the school policy on RSE and child protection and their input should be delivered in that context. My Department recommends and provides guidance that the class teacher should always be present in the class in order that he or she is aware of what is being delivered and can ensure that this is in accordance with the school's policy. Parents should also be informed when external speaker/agencies are engaged. Programmes delivered by visitors or external agencies must use appropriate evidence-based methodologies with clear educational outcomes.

Circulars 22/2010 and 23/2010 also require that all materials proposed for use by external providers must be approved in advance by the principal and Board of Management, be age and stage appropriate for pupils and be in line with the ethos of the school, and the principles of the SPHE curriculum. There is also a requirement to take account of all relevant school policies and procedures, including the school’s child protection policy, Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) policy and substance misuse policy.

School Accommodation Provision

Questions (105)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

105. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the actions being taken by his Department to resolve the shortage of secondary school places in Glanmire, County Cork and the greater area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2581/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:

- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

- Provision of a new school or schools.

For school planning purposes Glanmire is located in the Riverstown_Glanmire school planning area. As with other school planning areas nationwide, the demographic data for the area referred to by the Deputy will be kept under ongoing review by my Department to take account of updated data.

School Accommodation Provision

Questions (106)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

106. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the expansion of a school (details supplied) will be sanctioned in order to allow the necessary additional classrooms and buildings; the progress of this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2582/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of the school referred to and the request for improved accommodation. In that regard, my Department is in ongoing contact with the school on the matter.

Schools Building Contractors

Questions (107)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

107. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schools operated through public private partnership, PPP, or under construction by a company (details supplied). [2608/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The company referred to by the Deputy has been a 50% shareholder in Inspiredspaces, the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) responsible for the construction, finance, operation and maintenance of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Schools Bundle 5 programme.

This programme, part of the Government’s 2012 stimulus package, will provide 6 schools on 4 sites in Wicklow, Wexford, Meath and Carlow.

These schools are Loreto College, Wexford; Coláiste Raithin and St. Philomena’s Primary School, Bray; Eureka Secondary School, Kells; Tyndall College and Carlow Institute of Further Education, Carlow.

The NDFA has confirmed that, given the advanced stage of construction of the projects (the school buildings in question are approx 90% complete) they do not envisage material disruption or delay to the works; however, they are monitoring the position in the context of the robust contractual protections provided for under the PPP contract.

My Department remains committed to the full completion of these schools in as timely a manner as possible.

Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Eligibility

Questions (108)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

108. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding funding from Caranua; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2637/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The eligibility requirements in relation to applications to Caranua (the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund) are set down in Section 3 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. Under the legislation, only those former residents, who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or equivalent Court awards or settlements for the abuse they suffered in institutions which were listed in the Residential Institutions Redress legislation, can apply for services to Caranua.

This approach was taken having regard to the maximum funds available of €110 million and a potential pool of some 15,000 applicants.

Decisions regarding individual applications, including decisions regarding the eligibility of applicants, are a matter for Caranua and neither I nor my Department have any role in the process.

Appeals against decisions of Caranua may be made to the independent appeals officers appointed by me. The Appeals Officers are independent in the performance of their functions and I, as Minister, have no role in the appeals process. Persons who are dissatisfied with decisions of an appeals officer may appeal that decision to the High Court on a point of law.

State Examinations Fee Exemptions

Questions (109)

Brendan Smith

Question:

109. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students exempted each year since 2008 from paying the leaving certificate examination fee; the eligibility criteria for such exemption; the person or body that determines a person's entitlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2638/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.

In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.