Written Answers Nos. 130-149
130. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on discussions which have taken place to date at the community sector high level forum in regard to the need for community employment scheme supervisors to be provided with a pension scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14686/18]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question no. 54985/17 answered on 16 January 2018
131. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to correspondence to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; his policy in respect of issuing letters such as this; if there is a lower limit amount of pension overpayment which the PSSC will not attempt to recoup from bereaved persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14781/18]
View answerWhile this case was processed by the Payroll Shared Services Centre of the National Shared Services Office, it was drawn to my attention after some details were reported in the national media.
In principle, amounts overpaid from the Exchequer must be recouped. The decision on whether a letter should issue in an individual case is an operational one for the NSSO.
With regard to the issue of a specific threshold and in the light of the case mentioned, my officials have sought proposals from the NSSO and, once received, I will ensure they are given full consideration.
132. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the date on which it was decided to publish the capital plan and the National Development Plan 2018-2027 in the same document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14892/18]
View answerI presume the Deputy is referring to the National Development Plan (NDP) and the National Planning Framework (NPF) which, following a special Cabinet meeting at the Institute of Technology in Sligo, were launched as Project Ireland 2040 on 16 February 2018. The Government decided on 6 September 2017 that the NDP would be published in conjunction with the NPF.
133. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of rolling out the Civil Service mobility scheme to date. [14908/18]
View answerIn response to the Deputy’s question, the following table outlines the cost (inclusive of VAT) of rolling out the civil service mobility scheme to date, including development of Mobility portal, Mobility interactive map and in-service communications.
|
Mobility Portal |
Cost. |
|
Pilot of Phase 1 of CS Mobility Scheme - March 2017 |
€69,819.72 |
|
Phase 1A of CS Mobility Scheme - launched November 2017 |
€120,810.60 |
|
Total |
€190,630.32 |
|
Supporting Communications |
|
|
In-house communications (including video and posters) |
€3,720.75 |
|
Development of interactive map |
€3,936.00 |
|
Total |
€7,656.75 |
134. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the lack of availability of educational psychologists to assess the special needs of children in south west County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8924/18]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual pupil casework via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments. (SCPA).
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment.
This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
I have made enquiries in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy and can inform him that there is one Educational Psychologist post currently vacant and that arrangements are in hand in relation to their replacement.
I would advise that if there are concerns in relation to the educational or social and emotional development of any student these should be raised by the parents, in the first instance, with the Principal of the school he/she is attending, with a view to the Principal discussing the situation with the assigned NEPS psychologist or local NEPS service.
135. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a feasibility study will be considered to include his Department and educational patrons regarding the use of school premises for afterschool care throughout the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8825/18]
View answerGuidelines on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours were published in October 2017; these can be viewed on my Department's website. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance for schools in relation to the use of school buildings outside of school hours. These guidelines are provided for schools who currently make their buildings available and also for those schools who are considering putting such arrangements in place.
The publication of these guidelines followed a consultation process with relevant school patrons.
136. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) has been instructed not to enrol new students other than in junior infants. [14516/18]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the school referred to applied to my Department in March 2017 seeking additional accommodation in respect of projected increases in enrolment.
Having assessed the application my Department was satisfied that there was sufficient capacity to meet the demand for school places in the catchment area within which the school referred to is located. This may sometimes, however, lead to pupils not being offered a place in their school of first preference. This position was advised to the school authorities concerned.
I would like to bring to the Deputy’s attention the significant funding my Department has approved in recent years to improve the accommodation at the school referred to. In 2013, under the Prefab Replacement Scheme, six mainstream classrooms and a special education room were provided and, more recently, a project was approved by my Department for six mainstream classrooms and a two class special needs unit; this project is currently ongoing.
137. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding school busses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14520/18]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 116,000 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 at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
The safety of children travelling on the school transport service is of paramount importance to my Department and to Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme.
Bus Éireann has advised that every school bus is required to be tested under the Road Safety Authority's (RSA) Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (CVRT), which is the primary annual vehicle safety inspection.
It is a matter for Bus Éireann to procure contractors to provide services for school transport purposes. Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement, which includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme.
In order to comply with Contractual agreements, Contractors are obliged to nominate buses less than twenty years old. Bus Éireann has withdrawn a number of buses older than 1997 from its School Transport fleet over the last twelve months. One bus older than 1997 had been retained as a replacement vehicle on a short term basis, however this has now subsequently been withdrawn from service.
138. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the value of the national training fund for each of the past ten years; the allocations that have been made from this fund since 2016, in tabular form; the process by which these allocations were decided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14522/18]
View answerThe National Training Fund Act, 2000 provides for a levy on employers to be used to give skills or to raise skills amongst those in, or seeking, employment.
Funding from the National Training Fund (NTF) is allocated by my Department with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in accordance with the provisions of the National Training Fund Act, 2000.
Section 7 of the National Training Fund Act, 2000 provides that payments may be made from the Fund in respect of schemes, which are established to:
(a) raise the skills of those in employment;
(b) provide training to those who wish to acquire skills to take up employment; or
(c) provide information in relation to existing, or likely future, requirements for skills in the economy.
While the NTF does not form part of the Vote of my Department, the allocation for each scheme is determined as part of the annual Estimates process. The NTF is included as an annex to the published Estimates and such funding is included in the overall expenditure ceiling for my Department since 2011.
The operation of the EU Fiscal Rules and the inclusion of the NTF in my Department's overall annual expenditure ceiling mean that, in the absence of an increased rate of contribution, additional expenditure cannot be sourced from the NTF without a corresponding drop in Exchequer expenditure.
Following a consultation process, the Government, as part of Budget 2018, decided to raise the rate of the National Training Fund (NTF) levy by 0.1% in 2018 to 0.8% and by a further 0.1% in both 2019 and 2020. This measure allows for additional expenditure of €47.5 million from the NTF in 2018 under the EU fiscal rules.
This increase in the NTF levy takes account of the benefit to employers of having access to skilled graduates across further education and training and higher education to meet their identified skills needs as well as being able to access training for their current employees.
The increase is being accompanied by a programme of reforms in how the NTF is managed, evaluated and reported on. The key reforms include:
- A Comprehensive Review of the NTF
- Additional and refocused expenditure on programmes relevant to employers
- An NTF more aligned with employer needs
- A greater say for employers, more transparency and stronger evaluation:
- A new strategic dialogue model, incorporating strategic performance agreements clearly aligning local/regional and national targets, will be put in place in the Further Education and Training sector from 2018.
There has already been a need to change and rebalance the suite of funded programmes to reflect the changing labour market conditions and areas of skills needs. The 2018 NTF allocations represent a shift in the focus of expenditure from the Fund. Programmes are focused on labour market skill needs across higher education, further education and training and other partners.
The following tables outline NTF levy receipts for the period 2008 to 2017 and the allocation of NTF Funding 2016 to 2018.
National Training Fund National Training Fund Levy Receipts (€m)
2008 - 2017
|
2008 |
413 |
|
2009 |
372 |
|
2010 |
309 |
|
2011 |
316 |
|
2012 |
299 |
|
2013 |
317 |
|
2014 |
338 |
|
2015 |
364 |
|
2016 |
390 |
|
2017 Provisional |
431 |
National Training Fund
Allocation of Funding 2016 – 2018
|
- |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
Total Expenditure |
361,994,000 |
366,050,000 |
415,400,000 |
|
Training In Employment |
82,486,000 |
106,530,000 |
153,980,000 |
|
SOLAS apprenticeship allocation |
59,665,000 |
77,400,000 |
90,000,000 |
|
HEA apprenticeship allocation |
435,000 |
3,000,000 |
32,000,000 |
|
Skillnets training networks programme - In Employment |
12,636,000 |
16,380,000 |
19,530,000 |
|
Enterprise Ireland Training grants to industry |
3,500,000 |
3,500,000 |
3,500,000 |
|
SOLAS Workplace Education Fund / Skills for Work |
2,800,000 |
2,800,000 |
3,000,000 |
|
IDA Training grants to industry |
3,000,000 |
3,000,000 |
3,000,000 |
|
SOLAS Traineeship |
- |
- |
1,500,000 |
|
Regional Skills Innovation |
- |
- |
1,000,000 |
|
Community and Voluntary Organisations (The Wheel) |
375,000 |
375,000 |
375,000 |
|
Institute of Engineers Ireland --- CPD Pilot Project |
75,000 |
75,000 |
75,000 |
|
Training For Employment |
278,648,000 |
258,660,000 |
259,560,000 |
|
SOLAS training for Employment |
232,266,000 |
220,702,000 |
182,502,000 |
|
Labour Market Focused HE Provision |
- |
- |
37,000,000 |
|
Springboard + |
27,818,000 |
27,438,000 |
30,438,000 |
|
DSP - Community Employment |
4,200,000 |
4,200,000 |
4,200,000 |
|
DSP - Technical Employment Support Grants |
3,200,000 |
3,200,000 |
3,200,000 |
|
Skillnets training networks programme - for Employment |
3,564,000 |
1,820,000 |
2,170,000 |
|
European Globalisation Fund |
500,000 |
300,000 |
50,000 |
|
SOLAS Labour Market Education & Training / Momentum |
7,100,000 |
1,000,000 |
- |
|
Provision for Information on Skills |
860,000 |
860,000 |
1,860,000 |
|
Regional Skills Fora |
- |
- |
1,000,000 |
|
SOLAS Skills Analysis Unit |
370,000 |
480,000 |
480,000 |
|
Provision of Information on Skills Requirements - EGFSN |
490,000 |
380,000 |
380,000 |
139. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the workforce development framework report; his plans to publish the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14523/18]
View answerA commitment has been made in the 2018 Action Plan for Education to publish a policy framework for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector on Employee Development. Work is progressing on development of the framework and is on schedule for publication in Quarter 3 with implementation scheduled to commence in quarter 4 of this year.
140. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount that his Department has spent on social media training and consultancy in each year since 2016. [14566/18]
View answer141. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills if training has been delivered in his Department on the use of social media (details supplied); the frequency and cost of this training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14582/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together.
My Department has not arranged specific training in relation to the social media forums mentioned by the Deputy. However, my Department did arrange media skills training for a small number of officials in 2016 and 2017. The following tabular statement gives details of the companies and the expenditure concerned.
Expenditure on media skills training in 2016 and 2017 for officials at the Department of Education & Skills. The course content includes writing press releases, understanding how print media, radio and television programmes operate.
|
COMPANY |
COURSE |
YEAR |
COST |
|
Public Affairs Ireland |
Certificate for Civil Service Press Officers |
2016 |
€1,890.00 |
|
Carr Communications |
Media Skills Training |
2016 |
€430.00 |
|
Carr Communications |
Media Skills Training |
2017 |
€460.00 |
142. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the value of contracts for services awarded to a company (details supplied) by his Department since 2010, in tabular form; and the type of work undertaken by the company. [14627/18]
View answerI should like to advise the Deputy that the Department's financial management system (FMS) has no records of any payments made to Acrux consultants since 2010.
143. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria for the removal of DEIS status for a school (details supplied); the guidelines under which this was decided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14637/18]
View answerMy Department has, for the first time, introduced an objective, statistics based model for deciding which schools warrant 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.
A detailed document explaining the methodology used in the new Identification process is available on my Department’s website at www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Identification-Process.pdf.
The school referred to by the Deputy was assessed as part of the overall assessment of all schools using this new identification process in early 2017 and was deemed not to have a concentrated level of disadvantage within its student cohort such as to warrant support under the DEIS Programme.
The school in question is a new school established in September 2015 following the amalgamation of 2 schools, one DEIS and one non-DEIS. Accordingly, as with all schools in this situation prior to the current school year, it will receive additional funding in respect of the pupil cohort of the former DEIS school until the end of the 2022/2023 school year.
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. 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 assessment indicate a level of disadvantage that warrants additional supports.
An update of the identification model is currently underway in my Department. 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 shortly.
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 in the Programme, subject to available resources.
144. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of pay scales of teachers or resource staff members in Youthreach, adult education or PLC colleges; and if there is a national common scale. [14638/18]
View answerIn December 2017, my Department published circulars setting out revised salary rates to be implemented with effect from 1 January 2018. These revised salary rates were introduced as a result of the Public Service Stability agreement 2013 - 2020 (Haddington Road Agreement/Lansdowne Road Agreement) and the Public Service Pay and pensions Act 2017.
Circulars 0076/2017 and 0083/2017 include the pay scales for the staff members referred to by the Deputy. These circulars can be accessed on my Department's website via the following links:
https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0076_2017.pdf.
https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0083_2017.pdf.
145. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person with a master's degree and a higher diploma in further education is considered to be a teacher. [14639/18]
View answerThe Teaching Council is the independent regulatory body with statutory authority for the professional regulation of teachers in this State.
Registration with the Council is necessary in order to be recognised as a teacher for employment in a state funded teaching post. Registration ensures that standards of entry to the profession are maintained. Teachers may apply for registration in the following sectors:
Route 1: Primary
Route 2: Post-primary
Route 3: Further Education
Route 4: Other
The registration of teachers is governed by Section 31 of the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 and the Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2016 and The Teaching Council [Registration] (Amendment) Regulations 2016. My Department is not directly involved in in teacher registration.
Applicants wishing to register as a teacher in the Further Education sector must meet the requirements for registration under Route 3, as set out in the regulations, which are available on the Teaching Council’s website at www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/Registration/How-do-I-register-/.
146. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to provide early intervention classes on the southside of Cork city and in surrounding suburbs such as Douglas, Rochestown, Carrigaline, Passage West and Crosshaven; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14641/18]
View answer147. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to improve the number of austic spectrum disorders, ASD, appropriate primary school places in Cork city and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14642/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 147 together.
My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled students with special educational needs, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
ASD Early intervention classes are available for children aged 3-5 with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention classes are intended to provide early support for children with ASD before they start school. Following early intervention children will attend a mainstream class unless there is professional guidance that they require a special class or a placement in a special school.
Most children with ASD attend mainstream class, but some require the environment of a special class or special school. This decision is based on a professional assessment in consultation with the NCSE.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which is a separate independent statutory body, plans and co-ordinates the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year, and where special provision, including special class or special school provision, is required, it is planned and established to meet that need.
In Cork City and County there are 23 Early Intervention ASD classes, 102 Primary ASD classes and 50 Post-Primary ASD classes in mainstream schools for 2017/18 school year.
The NCSE has advised my Department that it intends to establish 4 new Early Intervention ASD classes, 10 new Primary ASD classes and 5 new Post-Primary ASD classes in the city and county for the 2018/19 school year.
The NCSE has advised my Department that there is an emerging need for additional Special School placement options in the Cork area. My Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children who require special school placements can access such placements. This process is ongoing.
The enrolment of a child in a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department and the NCSE has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.
Accordingly, the NCSE advises parents to seek to enrol their child, by applying in writing, to the school/s of their choice as early as possible. Where Parents have been unsuccessful in enrolling their child in a special school or special class placement for the 2018/19 school year, they should update their local SENO to inform the planning process. Contact details are available on www.ncse.ie.
The NCSE has advised that they continue to work with schools, parents, NEPS, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in the Cork area for children with special educational needs, to ensure that each child has a school placement appropriate to their needs for the 2018/19 school year.
The Deputy should be aware that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs provides supports for pre-school education.
The principal vehicle for the delivery of pre-school education is the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which provides for early learning in a formal setting to children before they commence primary school.
Children with disabilities have access to pre-school services under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) programme of supports.
AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, depending on the needs of the child and the pre-school.
Details of the supports which are available under AIM can be found at www.preschoolaccess.ie which contains comprehensive information on the access and inclusion model and on how to apply for the new schemes and supports.
148. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the decision to refuse funding via the summer works scheme for a school (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14644/18]
View answerThe current Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2016 -2017 was applied on a multi-annual basis. The Deputy will be aware that nearly 50% of schools have applied for inclusion under the scheme which reflects a very high demand.
Almost €80 million has been approved to date under the Summer Works Scheme, in respect of over 640 school projects in categories 1 - 6. Details of the successful school applicants are published on my Department's website www.education.ie.
The 2018 budgetary provision will allow my Department to meet the carry over costs of summer works projects already approved. The assessment of applications in the remaining categories 7-10, including the application from the school referred to by the Deputy for a category 7 project, is reliant on the availability of funding.
149. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects in the course of the school building programme to replace all prefab accommodation at primary and second level within the targeted timescale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14647/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, it is my intention, in accordance with the Programme for Government to replace all purchased temporary accommodation with permanent accommodation, where the need is established, over the lifetime of my Department's Capital Programme (2016-2021). An assessment of the number of prefabs being used in schools to deliver the curriculum will also determine whether individual prefabs need to be replaced in the context of the long-term accommodation needs of each individual school. When completed, this assessment will quantify the number of prefabs to be replaced.
It is intended that this assessment, when finalised, will enable the replacement of such prefabs to commence in 2019. A funding provision of €180 million is being made available from 2019 onwards for this initiative in the programme.
