Written Answers Nos. 117-139
117. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding first aid training for educators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6160/18]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school.
The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the students in their school and care and safety should be at the centre of all policy and practices.
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) advise that, by law, employers and those who control workplaces to any extent, must identify hazards in the workplaces under their control and assess the risk presented by the hazards.
Employers must write down the risks and what to do about them. This is known as Risk Assessment. The aim of Risk Assessment is to reduce the risk of injury and illness associated with work. The Risk Assessment(s) will form part of the employer's Safety Statement.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 set out the First-Aid requirements for workplaces as follows: "Employers have a duty to provide first-aid equipment at all places at work where working conditions require it. Depending on the size or specific hazard (or both) of the place of work, trained occupational first-aiders must also be provided. Apart from some exceptions, first-aid rooms must be provided where appropriate. Information must also be provided to employees as regards the first-aid facilities and arrangements in place."
It is important that the school management authority requests parents to ensure that the school is made aware of any medical condition suffered by any student attending. Where the school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a medical condition suffered by one or more students, it may be possible for the management authorities, working in conjunction with parents, teachers and children to put preventative measures in place to lessen the possibility of any difficulties arising or to ensure that, if a student suffers from an illness requiring, for example, the administration of medication, that appropriate treatment is available.
Where a child requires adult assistance to assist in the administration of medicine and where the extent of assistance required would overly disrupt normal teaching time, SNA support may be allocated for this purpose.
It is a matter for the Board of Management to ensure that SNAs are in a position to effectively meet the care needs of students for whom SNA support has been allocated in the school when appointing an SNA.
Where specific training is required, the Board of Management should liaise with the Health Service Executive (HSE) in order to ensure that the HSE provides guidance and training that enables the SNA to meet the care needs of the pupil in an appropriate manner. It is a matter for individual school authorities to make such arrangements locally.
It is my Department's experience that once the matter has been discussed in detail with the Board of Management and staff of a school, and once all parties are clear as to the procedures to be followed, arrangements can normally be made to assist the administration of first aid or medicine.
The NCSE are currently undertaking a Comprehensive Review of the SNA Scheme. In response to a progress report from the NCSE on the comprehensive assessment, the NCSE were requested to establish a working group, comprising relevant stakeholders, to assist in proposing a better model for providing care supports so as to provide better outcomes for students with special educational needs who have additional care needs.
This Working Group, which is chaired by Mr. Eamon Stack, Chairperson of the NCSE Council, has commenced its work and the work will run in tandem with the completion of the overall Comprehensive Review of the SNA Scheme. It is intended that the reports of the Working Group and of the Review will be completed in Spring 2018.
In tandem with this, a cross Departmental Working Group has been established to develop proposals in relation to the need for nursing supports in certain special schools for children with complex medical needs.
In relation to insurance, the position is that the nature and terms of an individual school’s insurance arrangements are a matter between the individual school and its insurers.
118. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of the local community of a school (details supplied) in respect of the decision of his Department to refuse funding to provide linking corridors and a meeting and parent engagement room in the school; if the matter will be reconsidered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6170/18]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for capital funding to construct corridors and a meeting room.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department's current priority within the limited funding available, is the provision of essential classroom accommodation in areas where significant demographic need has been established to ensure that each child will have access to a physical school place. The Deputy will therefore appreciate that all applications for capital funding must be considered in the context of the existing challenging financial circumstances where funding must be prioritised for this purpose and to provide mainstream classroom accommodation where additional teachers are being appointed.
In the circumstances, my Department was not in a position to provide the funding sought and the position as outlined above was clarified to the school.
119. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to improve the criteria for school transport eligibility commencing for the 2018/2019 school year in view of the difficulties that families have faced in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6172/18]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 115,000 children, including almost 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 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.
Children are generally eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school. It is important to note that all eligible children are accommodated under the terms of the scheme.
Arising from commitments in the Programme for Government, a review of the Concessionary Charges and Rules element of the School Transport Scheme was undertaken.
The review was published in December 2016 and made recommendations on both the charges and the rules element of concessionary school transport.
With regard to the charges for concessionary school transport the recommended course of action was to continue with the current position whereby charges remain in place for those in receipt of concessionary places. I agreed with this recommendation on the basis that those applying for concessionary transport are making a conscious decision to do so, understand that they are not eligible for school transport and understand the implications of this choice at the time of application.
The report also recommended that the number of concessionary places should be reduced in line with the rules introduced in 2012 on a phased basis. Previous plans to advance this option were put on hold, pending the completion of the review.
However upon consideration of the review and following discussions with the Cross Party Working Group which I established to feed into the review, I decided that there should be no planned programme of downsizing in the coming years except in line with normal operational decisions within the current scheme.
The terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
120. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the body or organisation with which the ownership of the six buildings being developed as part of the schools bundle 5 PPP programme currently lies. [6173/18]
View answerThe ownership of the site title for the Schools Bundle 5 PPP sites are as follows:
- Carlow Site – site title rests with Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board;
- Kells Site – site title rests with the Department of Education and Skills;
- Bray Site – construction works currently under a construction licence from NAMA. Full site title will automatically transfer to the Department of Education and Skills once the schools open; and
- Wexford site – site title rests with the Loreto Order.
The ownership of the school buildings rests with the site title holders. The Department of Education and Skills has granted a non-exclusive licence to the PPP Company to occupy each site for the sole purpose of enabling the PPP Company to fully comply with its obligations under the PPP Contract.
121. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the proposed changes to the Irish language requirement for Postgraduate Masters in Education courses; the way in which the changes will impact on persons who plan to take a course (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6183/18]
View answerI understand that the Deputy is referring to the criteria for entry to primary Initial Teacher Education.
In addition to the CAO points required (in the case of the Bachelor of Education) or the third level award requirement (in the case of the Postgraduate Masters in Education) for entry to programmes of primary Initial Teacher Education, my Department specifies minimum entry requirements in the core subjects of Irish, English and Mathematics.
In October 2017, I announced changes to these minimum entry requirements, as follows:
Entry 2018 - Irish: H5, English: H7/O5, Maths: H7/O6
Entry 2019 and entry 2020 - Irish: H4, English: H7/O4, Maths: H7/O4
The changes that I introduced took account of advice to me provided by the Teaching Council, which had engaged in a consultation process around a number of matters relating to entry to initial teacher education. Many of the issues identified were complex and the Council commissioned the ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) to carry out research to inform its deliberation.
The changes also had regard to the Department’s policy “Supporting a Better Transition from Second Level to Higher Education – Implementation and Next Steps” (2015).
In determining the revised entry requirements, care was taken not to disadvantage those students who have already commenced the senior cycle and who intend sitting the Leaving Certificate examinations in 2018. Accordingly, I decided that the minimum entry grades for primary Initial Teacher Education programmes should be increased for 2019 rather than from 2018. However, to have applied this criterion to undergraduate students who might wish to apply for the PME at some time in the future, it would mean deferring the changes for four years or more. In the case of graduates who do not meet the new Irish entry requirement, the Deputy might wish to note that there are a number of options available in this regard.
The revision of entry criteria for primary initial teacher education is part of a wider range of actions being implemented or developed to achieve the objective of developing the continuum of teacher education to equip teachers with the right skills for 21st century teaching and learning, and the overall vision of making the Irish education and training system the best in Europe over the next decade. The changes seek to ensure that primary teachers have the capacity to lead in significant and fundamental areas of student learning: English, Irish and Maths.
Further changes to the minimum entry requirements from 2021 onwards will be considered in the light of experience, relevant policy developments and following consultation with relevant stakeholders.
I do not plan to further adjust the minimum entry requirements or to allow exemptions to the requirements, in advance of this.
122. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to make entering the teaching profession easier for persons who are working full time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6190/18]
View answerInitial teacher education (ITE) for primary and post-primary teachers is facilitated through a range of concurrent (undergraduate) and consecutive (postgraduate) programmes.
The Teaching Council is the statutory body that sets and upholds the standards for entry to the teaching profession. One of the Council’s responsibilities is to review and accredit programmes of ITE provided by higher education institutions (HEIs). All ITE programmes that lead to registration with the Council must have professional accreditation from the Council.
Changes to ITE were proposed in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy Among Children and Young People 2011-2020 and incorporated into the Teaching Council’s Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. These changes include the reconfiguration of the course content and increased duration for both primary and post-primary ITE programmes.
Undergraduate ITE programmes must now be a minimum of four years duration and postgraduate programmes must be a minimum of two years duration. The lengthened and reconfigured programmes include substantial periods of school placement as central to student teacher development, as well as foundational and professional studies, a Gaeltacht placement. School placement is a critical part of ITE and is designed to give the student teacher an opportunity to experience teaching and learning in a real environment.
The Deputy will appreciate that the requirements in the Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers, including the student placement requirements, do pose a challenge to the provision of a part-time ITE programme by HEIs. It is open to a HEI intending to introduce a part-time programme of ITE to apply to the Teaching Council for accreditation, but this would have to be arranged so as to meet the requirements of the Criteria and Guidelines.
123. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if dance will be included in physical education as part of the curriculum in secondary schools. [6199/18]
View answerIt is the Department’s intention that all our pupils receive a quality Physical Education, as part of a curriculum aimed at supporting their holistic development. This involves appropriate instruction in a variety of movement forms that are designed to enhance the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of all pupils. Dance is one such movement form. The Department encourages schools to make every effort to deliver the Dance strand, which is one component of a comprehensive Physical Education at both primary and post-primary level.
As a study of human movement, Physical Education aims to support pupils in developing physical competence and understanding so they are able to move efficiently, effectively and safely. It is also focused on supporting pupils to develop positive physical activity behaviours, and to enjoy the many social and emotional benefits, including the physical and cognitive benefits that result from being physically active. All schools are expected to deliver a comprehensive Physical Education curriculum, as prescribed by the Department. It is important that pupils are supported in developing a proficiency in, and understanding of, the fundamental and transferable movement patterns inherent across all of the physical activity strands of the curriculum.
At Junior Cycle, promoting physical activity is reflected in the 24 'statements of learning' that are at the core of the Framework for Junior Cycle. Dance could also feature as part of a short course which could be developed and offered by a school, or by using the Performing Arts short course developed by the NCCA. Additionally, provision for PE forms part of the Junior Cycle Wellbeing Programme. The Junior Cycle Wellbeing Programme began with 300 hours of timetabled engagement in 2017 and build up to 400 hours by 2020 as the new Junior Cycle is implemented fully in schools. PE, along with CSPE and SPHE form part of the Wellbeing Programme.
A 100 hour short course in Physical Education was made available to all schools in 2015. It builds on the Junior Cycle Physical Education Framework which physical education teachers currently use to plan their physical education programme in junior cycle.
The specification is structured around four strands: Physical activity for health and wellbeing;
Games; Individual and team challenges; and Dance and gymnastics.
Strand 4: Dance and gymnastics. This strand aims to build students’ competency in and understanding of artistic and aesthetic movement, as they create and perform in a group for an audience in either gymnastics or dance. The process of creating the dance or gymnastic movement sequence is seen as being equally important as the final performance. Each school will decide the order in which the strands are taught and, where appropriate, provide an equal time weighting for each strand to ensure a broad, balanced and developmentally appropriate programme covering all four strands of the course.
The new Leaving Certificate Physical Education (examinable) subject will be introduced in September 2018 into a small cohort of schools. Learners’ physically active participation is central to teaching and learning in Leaving Certificate Physical Education. To enable this to happen, students learn about the different theoretical perspectives through their participation in three different physical activities. These activities are selected from six distinct physical activity areas which reflect the activities more commonly included in school physical education programmes currently. The Physical Activity area ‘Artistic and aesthetic activities’ includes Gymnastics: artistic, rhythmic And Dance: contemporary, folk, modern, ballet, jazz, tap, ethnic, traditional.
Leaving Certificate Physical Education is designed to be taught in approximately 180 hours. It is recommended that of the five suggested class periods a week, a double period per week should be included to facilitate learners’ active participation in the three physical activities.
124. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) has been advised to limit its intake of students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6226/18]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended that demand for patronage diversity should be met in areas of stable population by divesting patronage of existing schools where there is evidence of parental demand for change.
In this context, in 2012/13, the Department of Education and Skills undertook surveys of parental preferences in 43 areas of stable population to establish the level of demand for a wider choice in the patronage of primary schools. Sufficient demand emerged in 28 areas, and consultations followed with the main Catholic patrons in each of these areas to discuss divesting options.
In the majority of the 28 areas surveyed, the level of parental demand for a wider choice indicated a long-term projected size of up to half a single stream school (comprising of 4 classrooms) being required to accommodate such a level of demand and this is clearly outlined in the Reports on the Surveys regarding Parental Preferences on Primary School Patronage published by the Department in December 2012 and April 2013. Based on the current pupil teacher ratio of 26:1, half a single stream equates to a junior infant intake of 13 pupils.
The schools under the patronage divesting process are opened in areas of relatively stable populations and accordingly there is little prospect that new schools will be established there over the next number of years for demographic reasons. Therefore, the only mechanism for alternative patrons to become involved in school provision in these areas was through the possible divestment of some existing school provision in the areas provided there was sufficient parental demand for wider choice of patronage.
A number of schools opened under this process, including the school referred to by the Deputy, were contacted by the Department in the context of their enrolment numbers reflecting their school accommodation capacity.
In the case of any school applying to expand its intake, the Department examines school size in order to preserve a balance among all schools in an area and to ensure that one school is not expanding at the expense of another. In addition, schools which are located in temporary accommodation may need to restrict their intake in line with the temporary accommodation available. While the situation may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, the Department’s main responsibility is to ensure that the existing schools in the area can, between them, cater for the demand in that area. The Department’s principal priority in the allocation of scarce capital funding has to be in providing sufficient school places in areas of demographic growth.
Should a school’s patron wish to make a case for an increase in the school’s intake level, a proposal can be submitted to the Department where it will be reviewed in conjunction with the current demographic data, available accommodation and capacity levels of all schools in the relevant area. A case has been submitted to the Department in respect of a number of divested schools and this is currently under consideration.
My Department is currently carrying out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to identify areas of demographic growth and determine where additional school accommodation is needed in order to plan for school provision. It is anticipated that these exercises will be completed in the coming weeks. In this context, the outcome of these nationwide demographic exercises will input into consideration of the case submitted in relation to the schools opened under the patronage divesting process.
125. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 166 of 31 January 2018, the schools who were profiled for Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools or DEIS eligibility; the schools that were successful and unsuccessful following the most recent review of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6249/18]
View answerEvery school across the country, both Primary and Post Primary, were assessed to identify the level of disadvantage among their pupil cohort. As the Deputy may be aware, the identification of levels of disadvantage in schools is based on data provided by schools themselves, combined with publicly available Small Area of Population Census data, as represented by the Pobal HP Index. Schools identified with the highest concentrations of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds were selected for inclusion in the DEIS programme.
To be clear the schools included in DEIS, with effect from 1 September 2017, are those whose level of disadvantage has been identified as those schools serving the highest concentrations of disadvantage among their pupil cohort. The list of these schools is available on my Department's website at the following link;
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Plan-2017-New-DEIS-Schools-List.pdf
The list of schools participating in DEIS in the current (2017/18) school year is available on my Department's website at the following link ;
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/
(see - DEIS School List 2017-2018 school year)
The review of DEIS, which was published at the beginning of last year, is the most recent review of the programme. The implementation of DEIS Plan 2017, which was developed from that review, is now under way and I have no plans to conduct any further reviews of the programme at this time.
An update of the identification model is currently under way. This will take account of the most recent pupil data as provided by schools for the current academic year. This information combined with the Pobal HP Index of Deprivation, based on CSO Small Area Population Statistics derived from the 2016 National Census. It is envisaged that this process will be completed by the end of Quarter 1 of this year.
126. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available for a person (details supplied) at a school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6254/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, an ASD Unit, including a sensory room has been established in the school in question. In this regard, my Department provided start-up grants to the school for this purpose.
Start-up grants assist schools in purchasing teaching aids, classroom equipment or carrying out alterations for newly established special classes. It is open to the school in question to determine how this grant is expended within the ASD Unit/Sensory Room.
127. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schools, by county, name, address, email address, phone number and roll number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6257/18]
View answerThe information requested by the deputy is available on my Department's website at the following link: https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Data-on-Individual-Schools/
Currently the latest information available is for the 2016/2017 academic year. Information on the 2017/2018 academic year is due to be published by the end of next week.
128. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers in post-primary schools who opted out of supervision and substitution under circulars 41/2017 and 47/2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6279/18]
View answerAs part of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, post primary teachers could opt out or opt in to the Supervision and Substitution scheme subject to criteria set out in circulars 41/2017 and 47/2017. There were 973 opt out applications and 142 opt in applications approved under the terms of the circulars. This information relates only to post primary teachers paid on payrolls operated by my Department. The information in relation to teachers employed by Education and Training Boards is held by the individual ETBs.
129. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has commissioned economic or regulatory impact assessments of the risks to sectors under the purview of his Department following the decision of the UK to exit the EU and the various types of future relationships that might result; if he will provide a copy of such studies conducted; the persons or body commissioned to conduct this research; the cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6303/18]
View answer130. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the additional budget for 2018 or other years, provided to his Department and all agencies and bodies within his remit to plan or prepare for Brexit; the number of additional staff that have been recruited to work on this policy area in each body, agency and his Department; the number of dedicated staff planning and working on Brexit matters in each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6320/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together.
Contingency planning at both a domestic and an EU level is focused on three areas: preparing for a no-deal scenario or so-called “disorderly Brexit”; preparing for a transition period based on the “status quo”; and preparing for the future EU-UK relationship.
While the outcome of the December European Council and the move on to Phase 2 has lessened the likelihood of a disorderly Brexit, very detailed work on a ‘no-deal’ or ‘worst-case-scenario’ is advancing intensively through the cross-Departmental co-ordination structures chaired by the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade. This work is also informed by ongoing stakeholder engagement. Separately, a new preparedness unit in the Commission is considering EU-level responses.
All this work provides a baseline scenario for the policies and sectors impacted, which can then be adapted as appropriate in light of developments in the EU-UK negotiations. In this regard, it is welcome that the direction of travel is now firmly towards achieving a “status quo” transition period. Agreement on a “status quo” transition will provide certainty to individuals and businesses while also aiming to avoid any cliff edge effects between the UK leaving the EU and a future relationship agreement coming into force. The period will provide time for businesses and citizenship to prepare for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU based on the outcome of the negotiations on the framework for the EU’s future relationship with the UK. In this respect, the expectation is that the European Council will adopt additional Guidelines at its meeting on 22-23 March 2018 on the framework for the future EU-UK relationship. These guidelines – as well as further clarity on the UK position, which has been sought by the European Council – will provide a clearer picture of the direction of travel in the negotiations.
The Government’s contingency planning framework is firmly grounded in the extensive work and outreach that has already been undertaken by individual Departments and agencies, as well as by stakeholder organisations, academics and others. My own Department contributed fully to the preparation of the education components of that framework.
Our work has been facilitated by the International Unit of my Department which, under the leadership of an Assistant Secretary General, has been given overall responsibility for co-ordinating our response to Brexit. In discharging its Brexit-related functions, the International Unit participates in the Inter-Departmental Senior Officials Group which oversees the coordination of the Government’s 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 Brexit Coordination; the Economy and Sectoral Issues; the Common Travel Area; and the Island of Ireland Working Group.
The International Unit also chairs the Education and Research Subgroup under the Economy and Sectoral Issues strand of co-ordination. The Subgroup includes relevant areas within the Department and relevant Agencies of the Department and other Departments/Agencies. Meetings of the Education and Research Subgroup of the Economy and Trade Group took place on 28 October 2016, 15 February; 24 May and 9 October 2017 and most recently focused on stakeholder consultations input and research collaboration. A further meeting is planned for early 2018.
This Unit has been prioritising Brexit work to date and will keep staffing requirements under constant review. At this stage, it is anticipated that any additional needs arising can be provided for from within existing Departmental resources. No specific funding has been allocated to agencies and bodies within my Department’s remit for the purposes of staffing dedicated to Brexit preparations, nor has my Department engaged external bodies to carry out Brexit-related impact assessments.
However my Department has been working closely with a number of organisations, and in particular with the Higher Education Authority, in Brexit planning for the higher education sector. The HEA has published a Brexit issues paper and has held meetings with the HEIs to discuss ongoing planning and issues with them as the process develops. We will continue to engage in this important aspect of planning and research work, and during 2018 will maintain our extensive engagement with stakeholders across the sector, which has been fundamental to my Department’s preparations for Brexit since late 2016.
While Brexit presents numerous challenges, it is likely to bring opportunities too. Funding of €1.5m was provided in Budget 2017 to attract researchers to Ireland, as part of our strategic response to Brexit. This €1.5m is again available in 2018.
Under the Action Plan for Education 2018 we will enhance our strategy to attract world-leading researchers to Ireland in the context of Brexit. In partnership with enterprise/employers, and in line with Innovation 2020 targets, we will increase the enrolment of postgraduate researchers and grow the number of programmes to support postdoctoral researchers. In this way, we will grow a vibrant research community and address economic demands.
We will continue to seek opportunities in existing and high potential markets to increase the numbers of international students and partnerships for our higher education sector as we implement the International Education Strategy. We will also seek to maximise the opportunities from North-South cooperation and our continuing key relationship with the UK.
131. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the involvement his Department has had in respect of contracts with a company (details supplied) that provide public private partnership contracts; the nature of the contract; if it was for capital construction or service supply; the duration of each contract; the value of fee commitments; the alternative arrangements he has made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6337/18]
View answerFollowing an examination of my Department's FMS system, the information requested by the Deputy in respect of my Department is outlined in the table.
In respect of Capita Business Support Services Ireland Ltd., the relationship is now between Symantec and the Department of Education and Skills and there is no reliance on Capita for the supply of the goods going forward. The goods have been already supplied and paid for by the Department of Education and Skills and there are multiple resellers of these goods available if we require additional goods.
|
YEAR |
NAME OF COMPANY |
Nature of Contract |
VALUE OF CONTRACT
|
YEAR CONTRACT CONCLUDED |
WHEN CONTRACT UP FOR RENEWAL |
|
2017 |
Capita Business Support Services Ireland Ltd. |
Supply of Symantec Anti-Virus Software for 3 years |
€35,569.14 |
Goods supplied in 2017 for 3 years. |
2020 |
|
2015 |
Capita Business Services Ltd. |
Shared Services Business Case Consultancy |
€59,593.50 |
2015 |
N/A |
|
2012 |
Capita Conferences |
No contract involved. Payment was for a once-off attendance of one official at conference for teachers, school leaders and other educationalists. |
€565.79 |
2012 |
N/A |
|
2012 |
Capita IB Solutions (Ireland) Ltd. |
SUSI ICT set up costs |
€40,251.75 |
2012 |
N/A |
132. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) was not given DEIS status in 2017 in view of the fact that all the national schools adjoining its catchment area were all granted DEIS status and its pupil profile matches the other schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6388/18]
View answerWe have, for the first time, introduced an objective, statistics based model for deciding which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those schools with the highest concentrated levels of disadvantage.
The key data sources used in the DEIS identification process are the DES Primary Online Database (POD) and Post-Primary Online (PPOD) Databases, and CSO data from the National Census of Population as represented in the Pobal HP Index for Small Areas which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area. Variables used in the compilation of the HP Index include those related to demographic growth, dependency ratios, education levels, single parent rate, overcrowding, social class, occupation and unemployment rates. This data is combined with pupil data supplied by schools, anonymised and aggregated to small area, to provide information on the relative level of concentrated disadvantage present in the pupil cohort of individual schools.
A detailed document explaining the methodology used in the Identification process is available on the Department’s website at https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Identification-Process.pdf
It is important to note that schools included in DEIS with effect from September 2017 are those whose level of disadvantage has been identified as those schools serving the highest concentrations of disadvantage among their pupil cohort. Schools which have not been included at this stage are those which have not been identified as having the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage amongst their pupil cohort, under the new identification model.
It is also important to note that this is the first step in a process and the fact that a school has not been included now does not preclude its inclusion at a later date, should the assessment indicate a level of disadvantage that warrants additional supports.
An update of the identification model is currently under way. This will take account of updated school data as provided by schools for the current school year combined with the Pobal HP Index of Deprivation, based on Small Area Population statistics derived from the 2016 National Census. It is envisaged that this process will be completed by the end of Quarter 1 this year.
Should this exercise reveal that any school, which did not qualify for DEIS in 2017, meets the criteria applicable to schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage based on the updated information then additional schools may be included subject to available resources.
133. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has received updated documentation from a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; if a decision is pending on the school's DEIS status application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6450/18]
View answerSchools are not required to make an application for DEIS status therefore there are no pending decisions on any schools. I am advised by my officials that no 'updated documentation' has been received from that school.
It is important to note that all schools, both primary and post-primary, are assessed to identify levels of disadvantage among the pupil cohort of each individual school. The identification model is applied in a uniform way across the entire school system. Schools included in DEIS from September 2017 are those identified as having the highest levels of disadvantage in the pupil cohort of the school.
A detailed document explaining the methodology used in the Identification process is available on the Department’s website at https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Identification-Process.pdf
An update of the identification model is currently underway. This will take account of updated school data, as provided by schools for the current school year, combined with the Pobal HP Index of Deprivation, based on Small Area Population statistics derived from the 2016 National Census. It is envisaged that this process will be completed by the end of Quarter 1 this year.
Should this exercise reveal that any school which did not qualify for DEIS in 2017, including the school referred to by the Deputy, meets the criteria applicable to schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage based on the updated information then additional schools may be included subject to available resources.
134. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the persons on State boards under the aegis of his Department that are also serving on other State boards; the persons on State boards under the aegis of his Department that have served previously on other State boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6461/18]
View answerIn accordance with the Guidelines for Appointments to State Boards, the process for filling vacancies on State boards under the aegis of my Department is managed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS). Appointments are made in accordance with the requirements of the governing legislation and the Guidelines.
While the specific information sought by the Deputy is not available, the Guidelines advise that, consistent with best corporate governance practice, no member of a State Board should serve more than two full terms of appointment or hold appointments to more than two State Boards.
Details of the current membership of all applicable State boards under my Department's aegis are published on www.Stateboards.ie.
135. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prosecutions that were commenced in respect of unlicensed gaming activity for non-compliance with gaming licensing requirements in each of the years from 2010 to 2017, by district, in tabular form; and the number that led to convictions. [6087/18]
View answerI have requested a report from the Garda authorities on the matters raised by the Deputy and I will contact him directly when the report is to hand.
136. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria applied by An Garda Síochána for determining whether a crime should be recorded as a burglary as opposed to a criminal damage offence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6162/18]
View answer137. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if both crimes are recorded on the PULSE system in circumstances in which criminal damage is committed in the course of a burglary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6163/18]
View answer138. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the checks in place to ensure that An Garda Síochána is correctly classifying crimes recorded on the PULSE system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6164/18]
View answer139. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the process and policy in place for the re-characterisation of crimes already submitted in the PULSE system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6165/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 136 to 139, inclusive, together.
I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the methodologies and the criteria used by An Garda Síochána in recording the incidents referred to and I will contact the Deputy directly when the report is to hand.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) as the national statistics agency, is responsible for the publication of the official recorded crime statistics. I understand that the CSO has already carried out two detailed reviews of crime data quality, in 2015 and 2016, and that further general reviews of crime data quality are planned. The CSO's involvement is key to the ongoing work to enhance the quality of crime statistics.
Following the publication of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate report on Crime Investigation in November 2014, the then Tánaiste, my predecessor as Minister for Justice and Equality Ms. Frances FitzGerald T.D., met with the Director General of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to discuss the issues raised in that report. One of the actions flowing from that discussion was the establishment of the Expert Group on Crime Statistics, chaired by the CSO, which was set up to consider six specific recommendations made by the Garda Inspectorate in their report which affect the recording of crime data by An Garda Síochána and the compilation of official crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office.
The expert group's report found that, while the current principles with regard to the recording, counting, invalidation and classification of crime are fit for purpose, there is a clear need for a new, comprehensive and publicly available document explaining these principles in detail. This issue is being taken forward by An Garda Síochána, in consultation with the CSO.
I understand that the CSO plans to recommence publication of crime statistics in the first half of this year. However, in the meantime provisional statistics released by An Garda Síochána last month indicate a significant drop in burglary rates for the two month period of November / December 2017. I would caution that all these figures are provisional until such time as the publication of the official crime statistics by the CSO has recommenced. I am further informed that CSO are likely to note the statistics as ‘under reservation’ which indicates that, while the statistics have been determined to be of sufficient quality to allow publication, the ongoing issues mean that the quality does not yet meet the higher standard required of official statistics.
The CSO is engaging with An Garda Síochána and other crime statistics users, including my Department and the Policing Authority, in relation to the issues that need to be resolved by An Garda Síochána in order for the data to reach the required standard.
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A.
