Written Answers Nos. 272-289
273. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills if school insurance can be included in the central procurement process to negotiate more affordable premia en masse and ensure that schools can manage insurance costs within their finite resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43416/18]
View answerResponsibility for insurance rests with Boards of Management and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) for schools operated by them. Funding is provided by my Department in respect of general running costs, including insurance.
It is Government policy that public bodies, where possible, should make use of all central public procurement frameworks. The benefits arising from these frameworks include: cash savings; administrative savings from reduced duplication of tendering; greater purchasing expertise; improved consistency; enhanced service levels and legal certainty.
A wide range of public Procurement Contracts/Frameworks are available to schools for procurement of goods and services. Among them is Multi Supplier Framework Agreement for the Provision of Insurance Brokerage and Placement Services to the Public Sector. Clients of the Framework can include primary, post-primary, special and secondary schools as well as ETBs acting on behalf of schools.
This Framework allows schools and ETBs to seek the provision of the most appropriate and cost effective insurance brokerage solutions to meet their needs; and to get advice and guidance in respect of handling insurance related issues.
As to a possible public procurement mechanism for schools to obtain competitively priced insurance cover, I understand that the Office of Government Procurement has been leading consultations involving my Department and school patrons and trustees concerning the conduct of a value for money study of school insurance premia. As part of this process, a value for money review of IPB has been conducted and it concluded that the ETBs and County Councils, the effective “owners” of this mutual insurance body, are receiving value for money services from IPB for their insurance needs. I understand that given the complexity of the issues involved, ongoing work is progressing slowly.
274. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the status of a school project (details supplied); if it will be progressed from band 2 to assist in the development of the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43449/18]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for major capital funding to my Department to undertake significant improvement works at the school.
The National Development Plan (NDP) provides for an €8.4 billion investment in school buildings over the period 2018 to 2027 to deliver on NDP and National Planning Framework objectives through addressing the twin priorities of catering for demographics and ensuring a strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock. This investment will result in an almost doubling of the capital budget for school buildings - €540 m in 2018 rising to an annual average of circa €1 billion in the second half of the NDP period.
The strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands including prefab replacement, PE hall and school laboratory build and modernisation programmes as well as the commencement and progression of a deep energy retrofit of primary and post-primary schools built prior to 2008.
The application from the school referred to by the Deputy remains available to be considered in this context.
275. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if start-up interim accommodation has been sourced in respect of new primary and post-primary schools (details supplied); the details of the accommodation; the locations of same; if patronage has been agreed for these schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43467/18]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the current focus for my Department is to prioritise the 17 schools due to be established in 2019 so that patrons can be appointed and accommodation solutions put in place as soon as possible. My Department has appointed a Project Manager to assist with this work and potential interim accommodation options have been identified for the majority of the 17 schools which includes the four schools referred to by the Deputy. Work is still on-going in this regard and due to commercial sensitivities attaching to property matters generally my Department is unfortunately not in a position to provide further information on site locations etc. at this time.
A patronage process is ongoing in respect of the four post primary schools due to be established in 2019 and it is anticipated that the successful patrons will be announced before the end of October 2018. A patronage process for the primary schools due to be established in 2019 will commence shortly thereafter.
276. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the timeframe involved to date in the stage 2(b) process for a school (details supplied); when the process commenced; when it will cease; the reason for the delays that have occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43469/18]
View answerThe major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) Detailed Design which includes the application for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured.
This project was authorised to proceed to Stage 2(b) on 12th November 2015. The Design Team submitted the Stage 2(b) report for this project on 10th April 2018, additional documentation was requested which was received on 27th April 2018. Subsequently the Stage 2(b) submission was reviewed by the Department and comments issued on 30th April 2018.
The Design Team was authorised to commence the pre-qualification of contractors process to select shortlists of contractors for the main and reserved specialist contracts on 22nd May 2018.
The outcome of the pre-qualification process for the main contract has been notified to contractors who expressed interest in tendering for this project. Feedback and issues arising from same is currently being dealt with by the Design Team. When this process has concluded the project will then be progressed to tender stage.
The Design Team is currently in the process of completing the Pre-Qualification process for the Reserved Specialist contracts.
The project is currently profiled to commence construction in Q3 2019. However, the Department has advised the school that if the project is in a position to commence construction earlier in 2019, the Department can facilitate this.
277. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set down in tabular form the number of new apprenticeship registrations in each employment sector and subsector in each of the years 2014 to 2017 and to 30 October 2018 for all craft based and consortia led apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43470/18]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. Please note that the most recent data available in respect of 2018 is to 30 September.
Apprentice Registrations
|
- |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Sep-30 |
|
AUCTIONEERING |
|||||
|
Auctioneering & Property Services |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
44 |
|
Total |
44 |
||||
|
BIOPHARMACHEM |
|||||
|
Laboratory Analyst |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
0 |
|
Laboratory Technician |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
2 |
|
Total |
2 |
||||
|
CONSTRUCTION |
|||||
|
Brick & Stonelaying |
20 |
26 |
52 |
60 |
57 |
|
Carpentry & Joinery |
185 |
291 |
399 |
443 |
403 |
|
Painting & Decorating |
11 |
19 |
27 |
44 |
18 |
|
Plastering |
9 |
7 |
18 |
34 |
24 |
|
Plumbing |
318 |
289 |
345 |
532 |
460 |
|
Stonecutting & Stonemasonry |
16 |
13 |
2 |
8 |
5 |
|
Wood Manufacturing & Finishing |
23 |
48 |
71 |
59 |
69 |
|
Total |
582 |
693 |
914 |
1,180 |
1,036 |
|
ELECTRICAL |
|||||
|
Aircraft Mechanics |
33 |
34 |
39 |
53 |
72 |
|
Electrical |
845 |
956 |
1,343 |
1,705 |
1,236 |
|
Electrical Instrumentation |
85 |
83 |
106 |
120 |
71 |
|
Electronic Security Systems |
16 |
28 |
28 |
72 |
43 |
|
Industrial Electrical Engineering |
n/a |
n/a |
12 |
19 |
20 |
|
Instrumentation |
10 |
8 |
10 |
20 |
6 |
|
Refrigeration & Air Conditioning |
62 |
75 |
79 |
106 |
80 |
|
Total |
1,051 |
1,184 |
1,617 |
2,095 |
1,528 |
|
ENGINEERING |
|||||
|
Mechanical Automation & Maintenance Fitting |
174 |
153 |
163 |
183 |
125 |
|
Farriery |
4 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
Industrial Insulation |
10 |
13 |
10 |
21 |
11 |
|
Manufacturing Engineering (Level 6) |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
40 |
7 |
|
Manufacturing Engineering (Level 7) |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
36 |
8 |
|
Metal Fabrication |
176 |
198 |
186 |
224 |
166 |
|
Pipefitting |
0 |
37 |
33 |
25 |
37 |
|
Polymer Processing Technology |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
25 |
11 |
|
Sheet Metalworking |
23 |
38 |
40 |
53 |
48 |
|
Toolmaking |
66 |
62 |
66 |
65 |
43 |
|
Total |
453 |
508 |
503 |
678 |
463 |
|
FINANCE |
|||||
|
Accounting Technician |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
86 |
67 |
|
Insurance Practice |
n/a |
n/a |
67 |
71 |
76 |
|
International Financial Services Associate |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
15 |
3 |
|
International Financial Services Specialist |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
18 |
2 |
|
Total |
67 |
190 |
148 |
||
|
HOSPITALITY |
|||||
|
Commis Chef |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
25 |
90 |
|
Chef de Partie |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
24 |
|
Total |
25 |
114 |
|||
|
ICT |
|||||
|
ICT Associate Professional Network Technician |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
13 |
|
ICT Associate Professional Software Developer |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
19 |
|
Total |
32 |
||||
|
LOGISTICS |
|||||
|
Logistics Associate |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
24 |
|
Total |
24 |
||||
|
MOTOR |
|||||
|
Agricultural Mechanics |
38 |
59 |
43 |
45 |
29 |
|
Construction Plant Fitting |
56 |
77 |
59 |
86 |
54 |
|
Heavy Vehicle Mechanics |
145 |
154 |
136 |
143 |
142 |
|
Motor Mechanics |
325 |
423 |
420 |
353 |
275 |
|
Vehicle Body Repairs |
40 |
47 |
58 |
46 |
23 |
|
Total |
604 |
760 |
716 |
673 |
523 |
|
PRINTING |
|||||
|
Print Media |
8 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
|
Total |
8 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
|
Total Craft Apprenticeships |
2,698 |
3,153 |
3,742 |
4,508 |
3,504 |
|
Total New Consortia Total (in red) |
n/a |
n/a |
79 |
335 |
410 |
|
Grand Total |
2,698 |
3,153 |
3,821 |
4,843 |
3,914 |
278. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to indicate if the possible entitlement of a person (details supplied) to special needs assistant incremental credit for work in a community preschool for 11 years prior to becoming a SNA will be investigated. [43472/18]
View answerCircular letter 0139/2006 issued by my Department sets out the agreed scheme of incremental credit for Special Needs Assistants. As the service did not meet the terms of the scheme the application was refused by my Department on May 18 last.
279. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans for a new school building (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43479/18]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, a new school building for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's six year construction Programme. Officials in my Department are working in relation to the acquisition of a suitable site for the new school. A potential site option has been identified and discussions are ongoing with the owner with a view to acquiring this site.
Due to the sensitive nature of site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to comment further at this stage.
280. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the steps he will take to address an over-capacity issue at a college (details supplied) in which up to 30 students from feeder schools have not been allocated a place for September 2019. [43481/18]
View answer281. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if three prefabs for a college (details supplied) will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43482/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together.
I can confirm to the Deputy that the patron of the school in question has submitted an application for additional accommodation to my Department.
The application was considered and approval in principle was given to provide additional permanent accommodation to the school. In this regard, my Department will shortly be undertaking a technical site visit to the school in the context of determining the project brief.
As an interim arrangement, my Department has approved temporary accommodation to the school and my officials are continuing to engage with the school's patron relating to the school's immediate and long term accommodation needs.
282. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans to provide a new school building for a school (details supplied) in Donegal town; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the school is at maximum capacity and requires consideration for a new construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43494/18]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for major capital funding to my Department.
The Deputy will be aware that the National Development Plan (NDP) provides for an €8.4 billion investment in school buildings over the period 2018 to 2027 to deliver on NDP and National Planning Framework objectives through addressing the twin priorities of catering for demographics and ensuring a strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock. This investment will result in an almost doubling of the capital budget for school buildings from €540 m in 2018 rising to an annual average of circa. €1 billion in the second half of the NDP period.
The strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands including prefab replacement, PE hall and school laboratory build and modernisation programmes as well as the commencement and progression of a deep energy retrofit of primary and post-primary schools built prior to 2008.
The application from the school referred to by the Deputy remains available to be considered in this context.
283. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills when support will be made available to a person (details supplied) whose application has been sanctioned; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the school has been unable to make contact with his Department. [43635/18]
View answerThe 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 my 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 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 make a further application to the NCSE.
Once allocated, the recruitment and deployment of SNAs within schools are then matters for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
284. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the position regarding an application by a school (details supplied) for an extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43667/18]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, delivery of additional temporary accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers, is devolved to the school's patron body. In this regard, I understand that the patron body has appointed a consultant and is working on the delivery of the additional interim accommodation as quickly as possible.
285. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the status of a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43680/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the school to which she refers operates under the patronage of the local Education and Training Board (ETB). The ETB has informed my Department that the long term accommodation needs of the school are being reviewed and that it will revert to my Department when this process has been completed.
286. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has data on the uptake of apprenticeships and traineeships from young Travellers in the context of a commitment given by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to the effect that Travellers under 25 years of age would receive good quality offers of continuing education, apprenticeships, traineeships or employment in the context of the youth guarantee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43713/18]
View answerI am informed by SOLAS that there is no nationally collected data on participation by ethnic groups, including travellers for either apprenticeship or traineeship. The Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland 2016-2020 sets out a series of detailed actions and annual targets on how the expansion commitments in the area set out in the Action Plan for Education will be met. Over the lifetime of the plan we will see 50,000 learners register on apprenticeship and traineeship programmes. This represents a more than doubling of activity by 2020.
This Government is committed to doubling the number of people on an apprenticeship programme by 2020 and expanding the apprenticeship model into new sectors of the economy. Arising from our two calls for apprenticeship proposals in 2015 and 2017 sixteen new apprenticeships have now been developed in a range of new occupations, including financial services, engineering, ICT, hospitality, logistics and accounting. Further new apprenticeships will get underway later this year and throughout 2019 in a variety of sectors including construction, engineering, horticulture and agriculture.
As well as developments in new apprenticeships, as the employment and economic situation continues to improve, we have seen strong growth in registrations across the craft trades nationally also with 4,508 new registrations in 2017, which represents a 20% increase on 2016. The upward trend continues this year with 3,504 new registrations recorded at the end of September, 7% ahead of the same period last year.
The Government is also prioritising the expansion of traineeship offerings. To date over twenty additional new traineeships have been developed in areas such as hospitality, engineering, logistics and animation. These new programmes will complement the existing programmes on offer. The programmes have been designed by ETBs working in collaboration with employers to meet identified skill needs. Further new traineeships will get underway later this year and throughout 2019 in a variety of sectors including financial services, media and engineering. We have also broadened the eligibility criteria on participation to include school leavers, older learners and people in employment.
As set out in the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland, SOLAS is currently reviewing pathways to participation in apprenticeship in a range of underrepresented groups, including ethnic groups such as travellers. The review will identify any barriers that may exist to participation in an apprenticeship programme. The purpose of the review is to ensure that our national apprenticeship system is more reflective of the range and diversity of our population, more inclusive of diverse backgrounds and abilities and that apprenticeship opportunities are more readily accessible to all. The review will result in the publication of actions in this area in the coming weeks, along with the background research.
288. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the response from third-level institutions to the bursary scheme to increase the number of Travellers participating in third-level education; the number who were offered places through the scheme in 2016 and 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43715/18]
View answerThe National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019 (NAP) was launched in December 2015, and aims to ensure that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population. Irish Travellers are identified as a target group within the Plan.
To support the implementation of the National Access Plan, the Department of Education and Skills (DES) established the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) fund in 2016. Through PATH a total investment of €16.2 million will be made over the next three years and will see many new initiatives emerge that will support greater levels of access and participation by the target groups in higher education, including Irish Travellers.
The 1916 Bursary Fund supported under PATH 2 provides financial support to students identified by regional clusters of higher education institutions as being most economically disadvantaged from the target groups identified in the National Access Plan 2015-2019, including Irish Travellers.
The first year of implementation of the bursary scheme was 2017/18. The HEA are currently collating data on the number of Irish Traveller students supported under the 1916 Bursary Fund in 2017/18. Regional clusters are in the process of implementing the Fund for 2018/19.
289. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will conduct a full audit of the transition and retention outcomes of Traveller children in post-primary education; his plans in place to improve retention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43717/18]
View answerThis Government recognises the importance of inclusive education for all and is supportive of actions that will ensure that the school setting is a more welcoming environment for all, including Travellers.
The commitment to improve traveller retention and progression is reflected in a number of key policies and initiatives, including the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS), launched by the Department of Justice and Equality in June 2017, and my Department’s DEIS Plan for educational inclusion, also launched last year.
My Department’s DEIS Plan 2017 also has specific actions in relation to promoting improvements in school attendance and completion in order to improve educational outcomes and overall life chances for Traveller and Roma children and young people.
As part of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, officials from my Department, the Department of Justice and Equality and TUSLA have been engaging with Traveller representative groups to specifically identify and agree an approach to improving educational outcomes for Travellers and Roma. TUSLA is leading this cross-departmental initiative which will be piloted for a two year period to try to address the gaps outlined. My Department has committed to the allocation of additional Home School Community Liaison Resources to support this project. This pilot will inform the development of a sustainable programme to address the gap in educational outcomes for children and young people from the Travelling and Roma communities.
