Written Answers Nos. 285-304
285. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for additional permanent accommodation by a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36062/18]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers has been approved and has been devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board (ETB). It is currently being advanced by the ETB through architectural planning.
In this regard, my Department recently approved the project to proceed to Stage 2(a) which is the developed design stage. It is a matter for the ETB, as the client for the project, to ensure that this is completed as quickly as possible. Once the stage 2a submission is approved by my Department, the next step for the ETB's Design Team is to obtain the statutory planning approvals. When these are in place, the project can proceed to tender and construction.
286. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to expand and increase the levels of capital funding available to further education centres such as ETBs through existing funding streams and programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36063/18]
View answerFurther Education and Training (FET) provides learners with key intermediate level skills, enhancing the productivity and adaptability of the Irish workforce. It is delivered in a range of settings throughout the country, with FET providers firmly embedded in local communities. A priority for my Department, is to improve the quality of the settings in which FET is delivered, in order to better respond to the needs of learners and employers.
The recently announced National Development Plan includes a €300m capital envelope for FET over the course of 10 year period 2018-2027. With €65m already agreed for 2018-21, this represents an additional €235m over the remaining period of the Plan.
The additional capital supports will be prioritised to address issues with the condition of the existing capital stock, to roll out critical new apprenticeship syllabi and courses and to consolidate the provision of further education and training in modern fit-for-purpose facilities that enable the delivery of high quality integrated programmes.
The total actual and planned capital allocation for Further Education and Training purposes 2016 to 2021 is outlined as follows:
|
2016 - (€m) |
2017 - (€m) |
2018 - (€m) |
2019 - (€m) |
2020 - (€m) |
2021 - (€m) |
|
|
Further Education and Training |
3.000 |
3.000 |
6.000 |
13.000 |
18.000 |
28.000 |
287. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which opportunities will be created for the expansion of Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht in the context of the establishment of 42 new schools as part of a new patronage process. [36068/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022). A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. This patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons, including those offering Irish-medium Gaelscoileanna. Parental preferences for patronage and language of instruction, from parents of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process.
The patronage process for new schools is overseen by an external independent advisory group, the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG). Following their consideration of my Department’s assessment reports, the NSEG submits a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision. The assessment reports and the NSEG recommendations for all such patronage processes are made available on my Department's website.
An Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) has been developed by my Department to provide objective information to all parents which will allow them to make an informed choice about their preferred model of patronage for their child’s education. Parental preferences were previously collected based on direct engagement with patron bodies. The Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) opened in June 2018 for the four post-primary schools to be established in 2019 and my Department is currently preparing assessment reports for the NSEG. The Patronage Process for the primary schools to be established in 2019 will commence later this year.
Separately, I have announced the Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process to help accelerate the delivery of multi-denominational and non-denominational schools towards the Government target of reaching 400 such schools by 2030. The new plans are designed to provide multi- and non-denominational schools by way of patronage transfer of existing schools. An opportunity will be available to English-medium schools seeking to make a transition to Gaelscoil provision in that context, in line with the expressed wishes of parents and the local school community.
288. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills when inspectors will be assigned to support the implementation of the policy on Gaeltacht education in Gaeltacht schools; and the number of inspectors that will be assigned to same. [36073/18]
View answerThe Gaeltacht Education Unit continues to be supported by a team of inspectors since its establishment in 2017. A total of 6 inspectors are currently assigned on a part-time basis to support the Gaeltacht Education Unit in the provision of advisory visits to primary and post-primary schools participating in the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme in 2018/19. Inspectors will provide ongoing advice to schools on their action planning for improvement process to support the implementation of language-based criteria to strengthen Irish-medium educational provision in the Gaeltacht.
289. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of registered apprentices by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36085/18]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tabular statement.
|
County |
Current Apprentice Population 4/9/18 |
|
WICKLOW |
293 |
|
WEXFORD |
456 |
|
WESTMEATH |
345 |
|
WATERFORD |
693 |
|
TIPPERARY |
501 |
|
SLIGO |
203 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
94 |
|
OFFALY |
194 |
|
MONAGHAN |
176 |
|
MEATH |
643 |
|
MAYO |
428 |
|
LOUTH |
382 |
|
LONGFORD |
84 |
|
LIMERICK |
709 |
|
LEITRIM |
116 |
|
LAOIS |
167 |
|
KILKENNY |
349 |
|
KILDARE |
602 |
|
KERRY |
394 |
|
GALWAY |
563 |
|
DUBLIN |
3,858 |
|
DONEGAL |
170 |
|
CORK |
1,639 |
|
CLARE |
261 |
|
CAVAN |
302 |
|
CARLOW |
299 |
|
Total |
13,921 |
290. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cathain a chuirfear curaclaim idirdhealaithe T1 agus T2 ar fáil sa tsraith shinsearach. [36087/18]
View answerI bhfómhar 2018, cuirfear tús le hathbhreithniú ar an tsraith shinsearach agus as sin déanfar sonraíochtaí nua a cheapadh don Ghaeilge Ardteistiméireachta i gcomhthéacsanna T1 agus T2 araon. Faoi láthair, tá súil againn na sonraíochtaí a bheith ar fáil i Meán Fómhair 2020 don chéad ghrúpa scoláirí a chríochnóidh na sonraíochtaí nua sraithe sóisearaí (tús Meán Fómhair 2017, críoch Meitheamh 2020). Ní mór a chur san áireamh gur obair chasta í sonraíochtaí a cheapadh, ó thaobh leagan amach agus feidhmiú araon, agus mar sin is sprioc sealadach é 2020.
291. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the agreement entered into between his Department and the management of a former school (details supplied) at the time of the closure of the school in 1967; the agreement's position on the school's amalgamation with another school; the agreement's position on the transportation of schoolchildren from one area to the latter school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36091/18]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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.
In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were 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.
School transport arrangements under the Central/Closed School Rule originated from the last major amalgamation of schools in the late 1960s. Given the time lapse it is not feasible to provide copies of agreements, where they exist, reached between the Department and the School Authorities at the time of amalgamation.
In any event, changes to my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme which were finalised for the beginning of the 2012 school year mean that children are now eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Eireann, having regard to ethos and language.
The terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
292. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) for emergency funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36121/18]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to carry out roof repairs to the school building. Following review of this application officials from my department requested additional information from the school authority. Upon receipt of same a decision will be made on the application and the school authority will be informed directly.
293. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; the options available to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36170/18]
View answerThe core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget. Thereafter, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from supplementary panels comprised of eligible fixed-term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers.
After the redeployment and supplementary panel processes have transacted, each school is permitted to fill any remaining vacancies through open recruitment. It is open to any suitably qualified teacher to apply for these advertised teaching positions as they arise.
The redeployment arrangements are reviewed and agreed annually with the Education Partners (i.e. School management bodies, Teacher Unions etc). Arrangements for the next school year will be finalised later in the Autumn and the relevant circulars will be available on my Department's website at that stage.
294. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a development at a school (details supplied) in County Cork. [36179/18]
View answerThe school building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s “Rapid” Design & Build programme. The brief for the project is to provide a new 24 classroom primary school with a 3 classroom Special Needs Unit on a green field site in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork. The project is currently in architectural planning, which is the design development stage. The project will proceed to secure the necessary statutory approvals before proceeding to tender and construction stages.
295. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a development at a school (details supplied) in County Cork. [36180/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school referred to is included in my Department’s Capital Programme.
In the context of progressing the project it will be necessary to prepare a project brief. This process involves a site visit by technical staff of my Department. In that context, my Department will be in direct contact with the school authority shortly.
296. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a development at a school (details supplied) in County Cork. [36181/18]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was established in September 2015 and is currently operating from interim accommodation on a rented property. The project in relation to the temporary accommodation has been devolved by my Department to the school patron, Cork Education and Training Board.
The building project for the school's permanent accommodation is being delivered under my Department’s “Rapid” Design & Build programme. The brief for the project is to provide a new 24 classroom primary school with a 3 classroom Special Needs Unit on a green field site in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork. The project is currently in architectural planning, which is the design development stage. The project will proceed to secure the necessary statutory approvals before proceeding to tender and construction stages.
297. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if education and training boards or other employers are entitled to demand that new employees attend two weeks of induction before school term commences and before the individual contracts are dated to commence. [36198/18]
View answerMy Department understand from engagement with your office that the individual referred to in this parliamentary question is a teacher employed by an Education and Training Board (ETB).
Each school Board of Management or ETB has sole responsibility for the appointment of its teachers. The ETB is a statutory body with its own corporate status established under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013. Terms and conditions of employment for staff employed by ETBs are matters for the ETB concerned. While the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority or in this case ETB it is subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
298. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; his views on the Teaching Council's response to same; the actions that can be taken to assist the person on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36204/18]
View answerUnder the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for the registration of teachers.
The person to whom the Deputy refers is advised to contact the Teaching Council in relation to their registration, and they will provide information as to the provisions and mechanisms in place to register as a teacher in Ireland.
299. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the State Examinations Commission has moved away from the bell curve structure of results in the three science subjects at leaving certificate level (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36206/18]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
300. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a full review of the school bus transport scheme will be carried out, in particular in regard to concessionary bus tickets in order that more seats can be made available in pressure-point areas (details supplied). [36223/18]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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.
In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were 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.
Children are generally eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2018/19 school year.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis, no additional State cost will be incurred in covering the cost of providing school transport for children who are not eligible.
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.
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 year 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.
301. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a situation in which a retired teacher receiving a pension can only be paid on the first point of the lecturer's payscale in view of the fact they are considered a retired public servant regardless of the number of years of teaching experience or qualifications they may have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36232/18]
View answerIn circumstances where a retired public servant takes up employment in another public service employer, the employee starts on the first point of scale for that post.
In the circumstance you have described there is no obstacle to progression up that salary scale.
As in the case of all retired public servants in receipt of pension benefits who return to employment in the public sector, the pension benefits of the person concerned may be subject to abatement, in accordance with provision of the Article 52 of Single Scheme Act of 2012.
Abatement is the mechanism used to ensure that the combined earnings of a retired public servant (pension plus pay) do not exceed the final salary on which the pension is based, adjusted to current rates.
302. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the policy that informs the practices of a school, similar to bullying policy, when a student is sexually assaulted by another student. [36249/18]
View answerThe Department of Justice and Equality is responsible for the national criminal justice framework and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is responsible for national policy in relation to the protection and welfare of children.
My Department’s role is to give guidance and direction to schools in relation to meeting their statutory and other obligations in respect of the protection of children.
In December 2017, my Department published new Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary School 2017 which give direction and guidance to schools authorities and to school personnel in relation to meeting their new statutory obligations under the Children First Act, 2015 and in the continued implementation of the best practice (non-statutory) guidance set out in Children First National Guidance 2017 which requires all reasonable concerns about child abuse, including sexual abuse, to be reported to Tusla and An Garda Síochána where appropriate. The new procedures are published on my Department's website www.education.ie.
My Department’s Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary schools recognise that child protection and welfare considerations permeate all aspects of school life and must be appropriately reflected in all of the school’s policies, practices and activities. The procedures require schools to prepare, display and publish a Child Safeguarding Statement in accordance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015. As part of the Child Safeguarding Statement schools are required to undertake a risk assessment to help identify the child protection and welfare considerations applicable to school activities, policies, procedures and practices.
My Department’s procedures for schools also outline that under the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 it is a criminal offence to withhold information about certain serious offences, against a person under 18 years or a vulnerable person.
The reporting obligations under the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 are in addition to the reporting obligations under Children First National Guidance 2017 and the Children First Act, 2015.
303. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made in identifying a site for the proposed new post-primary school under the patronage of an organisation (details supplied) that is due to open in the Castletroy/Monaleen area of County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36271/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, officials in my Department are working to acquire a suitable site based upon thorough selection criteria. A suitable site has now been identified and discussions have been progressed with the landowner. Once agreement has been finalised between both parties, it is the Department's intention to commence the process of conveyancing immediately.
Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time.
304. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a 2016 circular (details supplied) has been updated; if this document has been withdrawn; if so, the reason therefor; if a subsequent circular has been issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36290/18]
View answerThe Information note referred to by the Deputy is still available on my Department’s website at http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/Grants-and-Additional-Support/New-ASD-Classes-Staffing-Supports-and-Grants-Information.pdf and is currently being updated with information for 2018/19 school year.
The National Council for Special Education has also published Guidelines for Boards of Management and Principals of Primary and Post Primary schools which contain information on setting up and organising special classes, including information on resources which may be provided to schools to establish special classes and are available to download from www.ncse.ie.
