Written Answers Nos. 102-115
102. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schemes available for energy efficiency measures in schools including the installation of energy efficient light bulbs and heat pumps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29715/18]
View answerIt is open to primary schools to use their minor works grants to install energy efficient light bulbs and/or heat pumps in their schools if they so wish. The capitation grant at both primary and post-primary level, which is for the general running costs of schools, may also be used for this purpose.
My Department is currently engaged with the SEAI on the delivery of a National Energy Efficiency Upgrade Pilot Programme to implement a range of energy efficiency measures in a small number of typical schools. The purpose of this pilot programme, which builds on a similar programme carried out in 2017, is to test a variety of approaches to develop a scalable model of energy efficiency retrofits in the school sector to be rolled out as funding becomes available.
103. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timescale for the full restoration of pay equality for teachers here. [29718/18]
View answerThe public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I negotiated, together with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, a 15-22% pay increase for new teachers. The agreements to date have restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more recently recruited teachers and deliver convergence of the pay scales at later points in the scale.
As a result of these changes, the current starting salary of a new teacher is €35,958 and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692.
Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 provides that “the Minister [for Public Expenditure and Reform] shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Oireachtas a report on the cost of and a plan in dealing with pay equalisation for new entrants to the public service.”
The report laid before the Oireachtas on foot of this provision by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform assesses the cost of a further change which would provide a two scale point adjustment to new entrants recruited since 2011. The total cost of such an adjustment across the public sector is of the order of €200 million, of which Education accounts for €83 million. The report also acknowledges that, during the financial crisis, there were policy changes which affected remuneration in different occupations across the public sector (including education). Addressing any issues arising from changes which are not specifically detailed in the report would give rise to additional costs over and above the foregoing figures.
The matter of new entrant pay is a cross sectoral issue, not just an issue for the education sector alone. The Government 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.
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform’s report will inform discussions among the parties to the agreement on remaining salary scale issues in accordance with the commitment in the Agreement to consider the issue of new entrants’ pay. That process commenced with a first meeting on 12 October 2017. The three teacher unions attended that meeting. Further talks were held on the 27th of April with all public service unions in relation to new entrant pay. Engagement between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the trade unions has been ongoing and meetings are currently taking place as the parties continue to work through the various aspects of this issue.
104. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) can reactivate an unsuccessful application for additional accommodation rather than making a new application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29720/18]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question recently wrote to my Department advising that it expects enrolments to increase in the coming academic year 2018/2019.
My Department contacted the school and advised the principal that should enrolment increase to a level that would warrant the appointment of an additional teacher, it is then open to the school to re-activate its application for additional accommodation, should the school's existing accommodation not be capable of accommodating the additional teacher.
105. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs; when payment will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29758/18]
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 family referred to by the Deputy has been sanctioned for the Special Transport Grant to cover the cost of bringing their child to and from school.
These grants are generally processed at the end of the school year upon receipt of a Statement of Attendance form; the relevant form was received on 2 July 2018.
106. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay in paying a contractor (details supplied) for works carried out to a school; if the contractor will be paid for the works conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29761/18]
View answerA meeting of the stakeholders for the project to which the Deputy refers was held on 2 July last at the school to discuss outstanding issues on the project. A follow up meeting with the contractor is being arranged with the consulting engineer with a view to finalising matters including payments.
107. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 91 of 16 November 2017, the person or body that has the final decision making capacity to allow these employees of Kerry ETB into the public sector pension scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29765/18]
View answerIt is a matter for each ETB to determine whether a person is eligible to become a member of the relevant superannuation scheme in accordance with the relevant rules of admissibility to the scheme and regulations.
However, each ETB must satisfy itself that the members of the organisation are eligible for admission to the scheme and it is not open to any ETB to allow persons who do not otherwise meet the criteria for admission to these schemes to be admitted.
108. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the demolition of a HSE building (details supplied) will be halted to enable the building to be used for educational purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29768/18]
View answerMy Department understands that the demolition of the HSE building in question is unlikely to be halted.
The school referred to by the Deputy has recently advised my Department that an alternative area of land which is under the ownership of the HSE may be available. I understand that the school is exploring this directly with the HSE and that they will keep my Department updated with any developments.
109. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) can use a bus free of charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29796/18]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 116,000 children, including over 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.
Under the terms of the Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are generally eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child in question is not attending her nearest school and is therefore not eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only which is subject to a number of conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and payment of the annual charge.
Only children who are eligible for school transport and who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge.
The terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
110. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29809/18]
View answerThe major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been obtained.
The Design Team submitted the stage 2(b) report for the project in February 2018. Following examination of this report, it became apparent that the submission was incomplete. A revised stage 2(b) submission was requested from the school and it’s Design Team. This has recently been received and is currently under review in my Department. Upon review of the revised 2(b) submission, my Department will revert to the school with regard to the further progression of the project at that time.
111. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an increase in the level of capitation grants for schools will be considered in budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29810/18]
View answerI recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.
Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education and I remain committed to achieving this. However, I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in the education sector in any one year. In the last two budgets, I made provision for 6,000 extra teachers and 3,000 extra SNAs and over 3,000 new middle management posts. These resources were allocated to improve the learning experience right across the sector, with a particular focus on children with special needs.
The Deputy will be aware that Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade. In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education increased by €554 million to over €10 billion. Through budget 2017 and Budget 2018, we are now investing €1 billion more in education.
Improvements have been made for the restoration of grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation.
112. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pearse Doherty den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cad chuige ar diúltaíodh iarratas ar chóiríocht scoile bhreise a bhí curtha isteach ag scoil (sonraí tugtha) i gContae Dhún na nGall; an ndéanfar athbhreithniú ar an chinneadh sin; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [29815/18]
View answer113. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pearse Doherty den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cad chuige ar diúltaíodh iarratas ar chóiríocht scoile bhreise a bhí curtha isteach ag scoil (sonraí tugtha) i gContae Dhún na nGall; an ndéanfar athbhreithniú ar an chinneadh sin; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [29816/18]
View answerTógfaidh mé ceisteanna Uimh. 112 agus 113 le chéile.
Dearbhaím don Ionadaí go bhfuarthas iarratas le haghaidh cóiríocht scoile bhreise ón scoil atá luaite.
Rinne mo Roinn teagmháil leis an scoil maidir leis an iarratas agus chuige sin, fuarthas eolas breise an tseachtain seo.
Eiseofar cinneadh go díreach chuig an údarás scoile maidir leis seo.
114. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the training his Department and agencies under its aegis will receive on GDPR legislation; when it will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29845/18]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has provided a number of information events on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation for the staff of the Department. My Department has also organised advanced training in data protection for a number of its staff. It is the intention of my Department to extend this training to other staff as the need arises.
In addition, my Department is currently assessing how best it can meet the training requirements of all of its staff in connection the GDPR, with a view to providing access to training for all staff of the Department in the near future. I cannot provide the Deputy with the details in this regard as the training is currently subject to procurement. However, I can advise that it is intended that this training will cover the essential material in the legislation and will be tailored to the Department’s circumstances. The training will be made available for all staff of the Department over the course of the next year.
Officials at my Department have also been informed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that they have issued a request for tenders in relation to the award of a contract for the provision of services to deliver training for Data Protection Officers within the civil service and bodies across the public sector. The submitted tenders have been assessed and it is expected that the winning tenderer will be notified shortly.
Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that Aegis agencies, like all data controllers, are required to implement appropriate measures to demonstrate compliance with their obligations under the GDPR and related data protection legislation. These are operational matters for the bodies concerned.
115. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to reports that 20% of mathematics teachers did not meet the standards of an organisation (details supplied) for same; and the steps he will take to address the matter. [29872/18]
View answerThe Deputy will note that the performance of students in Ireland in mathematics and science is relatively high by international standards. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) report, which included the survey of mathematics teachers' qualifications, the results of which were published last week by the Educational Research Centre, found that only six out of 39 countries obtained significantly higher mean scores than Ireland in mathematics, while seven countries significantly outperformed Ireland in science.
While the findings are not directly comparable, the TIMSS report would suggest that the situation regarding out-of-field mathematics teachers taking classes in schools has improved, compared to 2010. A report in 2010 by the University of Limerick showed that in a study of 51 schools, 48% of teachers in the study did not have a major teaching qualification in mathematics. On foot of that report, with funding from the Department, over 1000 out-of-field maths teachers will have gained a post-graduate qualification through the a programme led by EPI-STEM, the National Centre for STEM Education at University of Limerick, by 2020.
The STEM Policy Statement and Implementation Plan, which I launched in November 2017, aims to make Ireland the best in Europe in STEM by 2026. I recognise that there are still challenges and the achievement of our STEM goals will rely on the availability of suitably qualified teachers to meet our schools' needs. This is one of a range of issues being considered by the Teacher Supply Steering Group, that I recently established. Already, as I announced earlier this year, following consultation with the Irish Universities Association, extra places on initial teacher education programmes have been provided by the universities in targeted subjects, including in STEM, from September 2018.
The Deputy will note that, although the findings are likely to correlate strongly to the Teaching Council's requirements for teaching mathematics, the Educational Research Centre's report states that, due to the way in which the TIMSS question was asked, a direct comparison with the Teaching Council’s requirement for teaching mathematics was not possible.
