Alan Kelly
Question:183. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the new building project at a school (details supplied). [38570/18]
View answerSchools Building Projects Status
Questions (183)
Written answers
As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme.
The project brief is being finalised with a view to progressing the project into architectural planning.
School Accommodation Provision
Questions (184)
Jack Chambers
Question:184. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 174 of 8 March 2018, the status of the removal of prefab units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38575/18]
View answerWritten answers
I can confirm to the Deputy that the project to remove the prefab accommodation is being progressed by Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETB, who agreed to manage this project for my Department.
Some additional works were recently identified as part of the project. In that context a member of my Department’s technical staff carried out a site visit, to assist the ETB in advancing the project.
Schools Property
Questions (185)
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:185. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has an interest in a freehold lease of a former school building (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38581/18]
View answerWritten answers
The property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership. In common with other buildings of its kind, there is a charging lease in place on the property, in this case dated 1891 for 999 years to protect the state's investment in the property.
In circumstances where a property has ceased to be used as a school, and a request is received from the property owner to release the State's interest secured under a charging lease, such requests are considered in the context of the specific circumstances which pertain to the individual property.
I can confirm that my Department has not received a request from the property owners to release my interest in this property. Queries in relation to the property should be directed to the property owner in the first instance.
Student Grant Scheme Eligibility
Questions (186)
Robert Troy
Question:186. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an anomaly in the SUSI system whereby students can work during the Easter mid-term and not during the October mid-term will be rectified (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38685/18]
View answerWritten answers
The assessment of means under the student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt.
In the assessment of means, a deduction can be made for holiday earnings made by the applicant from employment outside of term time but within the reference period. I increased the value of this income disregard from €3,809 to €4,500 in the 2016 scheme.
The periods normally considered as holidays are the 2 weeks at Easter, the 12 weeks of summer (June, July and August) and the 2 weeks at Christmas. If the holiday periods for a particular course/college were not consistent with these dates, SUSI may ask for a letter from the college confirming the term dates; so that the student’s income can be considered as holiday earnings.
The onus is on the grant applicant to provide the necessary documentary evidence to SUSI in order to have the relevant holiday earnings deducted from the reckonable income.
Further details can be obtained at the following link:
http://susi.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/349/~/what-are-considered-holiday-earnings%3F.
School Transport Provision
Questions (187)
Thomas Byrne
Question:187. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school transport service will be provided for a person (details supplied). [38699/18]
View answerWritten answers
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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.
Bus Éireann has advised that the family in question did not submit their payment details for the 2018/19 school year on time and the service is now operating to capacity.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.
School Transport Provision
Questions (188)
Thomas Byrne
Question:188. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school transport service will be provided for a person (details supplied). [38700/18]
View answerWritten answers
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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.
Bus Éireann has advised that they have no record of an application for school transport from the child referenced in the details supplied. The family is advised to liaise with their local Bus Éireann office should they wish to make enquiries.
School Accommodation Provision
Questions (189)
Jack Chambers
Question:189. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of planned development works and the replacement of prefab units at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38716/18]
View answerWritten answers
The school to which the Deputy refers to was approved a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2015. The development approved consists of the demolition of 2 prefabricated classroom buildings and the erection of a two-storey detached building. The new building will include 8 resource rooms, a library, a kitchen, a breakfast room, an entrance lobby/reception, staircases and a lift. The development also consists of the formation of a new vehicular entrance and the rationalisation of onsite parking & associated drainage/site works.
The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. My Department understands that the school authority has secured planning permission for the project. The next steps are to proceed to tender and construction. It is a matter for the school to progress the project accordingly.
Special Educational Needs Staff
Questions (190)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:190. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a SNA will be provided for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38723/18]
View answerWritten answers
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.
In considering applications for SNA support for individual pupils, the NCSE take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.
SNA allocations to all schools can change from year to year as children with care needs leave the school, as new children with care needs enrol in a school and as children develop more independent living skills and their care needs diminish over time.
My Department’s policy is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support.
By the end of this year, there will be a total of 15,000 Special Needs Assistants working in our schools, a 42% increase on 2011.
The NCSE Appeals Process may be invoked by a parent or a school where it is considered that a child was not granted access to SNA support on the grounds that Department policy was not met in accordance with Circular 0030/2014.
Schools may also appeal a decision, where the school considers that the NCSE, in applying Department policy, has not allocated the appropriate level of SNA support to the school to meet the special educational and/or care needs of the children concerned.
Where a school has received its allocation of SNA support for 2018/19, but wishes new enrolments or assessments to be considered, which were not taken into account when the initial allocation was made, they may continue to make applications to the NCSE. The closing date for receipt of any appeals in regard to SNA allocations is Friday, 28th September 2018.
As this question relates to a particular child, I have referred the question to the NCSE for their direct reply.
Schools Building Projects Status
Questions (191)
Paul Kehoe
Question:191. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a building project for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38727/18]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy will be aware that a major building project for the school to which he refers, is included in my Department's Capital Programme.
It is acknowledged that this project will involve complex and careful master-planning of the site. A full technical site visit has taken place and the project brief for the school is currently being formulated. In that regard, my Department is currently liaising with the school's patron, Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board.
Schools Building Projects Status
Questions (192)
Joe Carey
Question:192. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new school building project for a school (details supplied) in County Clare; when the project will move to construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38728/18]
View answerWritten answers
A project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's Capital Programme.
My Department is awaiting information from the school in respect of their new school site. Once this information is provided the project can be progressed.
Schools Building Projects Status
Questions (193)
Thomas Pringle
Question:193. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new school building project for a school (details supplied) which is due to start in 2019; if the school is being prioritised due to the continued deterioration of the prefabs which make up the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38731/18]
View answerWritten answers
The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 1 of the Architectural Planning Process. Stage 1 is the Preliminary Design Stage where the Design Team, in conjunction with the school authority, analyse all the constraints of the site, develop a preferred design option and ensure that the preferred option is the best option for the delivery of the brief. The school's design team will shortly be presenting its design proposals to the Department for approval.
On satisfactory completion of Stage 1 the project will be progressed through the remaining stages of architectural planning which includes detailed design, the planning application and other statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. When planning permission and the other statutory approvals have been secured my Department will be able to provide the school with a more definitive timeframe for the tender and construction stages of the project.
This project is included in the 6 year construction programme 2016-2021 and is scheduled therein to go to construction in the 2019 - 2021 period.
School Transport Provision
Questions (194)
Jackie Cahill
Question:194. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an extra bus will be provided at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38741/18]
View answerWritten answers
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the routing and timetabling of school transport services. Buses may operate double trips in the morning and afternoon to facilitate primary and post primary schools which have different starting and finishing times. This ensures that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in the most efficient and cost effective manner.
Bus Éireann is continuing to liaise with the school authorities of the school in question in regard to the specific issues referred to by the Deputy.
School Management
Questions (195)
Kathleen Funchion
Question:195. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to provide one administration day a week to teaching principals across the primary school network. [38762/18]
View answerWritten answers
Building on measures in previous budgets to enhance school leadership, Budget 2018 made €0.4 million available to fund almost 4600 additional release days for teaching principals in primary schools. This additional funding has provided an increase in the number of release days available to teaching principals in the 2018/19 school year to 17, 23 or 29 days depending on the size of the school.
I recently announced an extension to the arrangements for schools with teaching principals to cluster their release days into full-time posts, with one teacher covering the release days of all the schools in the cluster. Up to 50 principal release cluster posts will be put in place for the current school year. This measure will assist teaching principals to more effectively plan their release days for the benefit of the school.
Enabling teaching principals to have one release day per week would cost approximately €12 million per annum. Any additional increase in the number of release days will be considered as part of the next annual budgetary process alongside the many other demands from the education sector.