Written Answers Nos. 204-213
204. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans that are in place to provide additional respite beds or houses for persons with a disability in Enniscorthy and throughout County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51877/21]
View answerThe provision of respite beds is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Health.
In terms of housing for people with a disability more generally, the Government is determined to ensure that housing policy addresses the needs of those who experience exclusion in our society. There is ongoing and extensive engagement with all local authorities across all delivery streams to ensure maximum delivery of homes for those who need them. I meet regularly with local authorities and I know that they are committed to ensuring that housing is provided to all eligible applicants as speedily as possible and that the support needs of applicants are appropriately assessed.
Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland which was launched last month targets delivery of more homes of all types for people with different housing needs, including delivery of over 10,000 new social homes per year to 2030.
Specifically for people with disabilities, the Plan prioritises delivering an appropriate range of housing types and related support services in an integrated and sustainable manner. The roadmap to achieve this is to be set out in a new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People from 2022, promoting equality of opportunity, individual choice and independent living.
The current National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2016-2021, which is a joint Strategy with the Department of Health, runs to the end of this year and a series of consultations have taken place for the development of a new joint Strategy to 2027. A new joint Strategy will be in place by 1 January 2022.
Furthermore, Actions 7.1 to 7.6 of Housing for All set out specific measures to provide or enhance housing for people with disabilities. These include:
- ensuring that local authority Housing Delivery Action Plans will set out how dedicated social housing provision appropriate to the needs of people with a disability will be delivered matching the scale and extent of housing need identified for people with a disability;
- the needs of people with a disability will be assessed through the Housing Need and Demand Assessment Framework to be considered as part of the Housing Strategy and Development Plan process;
- Housing and Disability Steering Groups will have to report quarterly on the implementation of their local strategic plans regarding housing for people with a disability to the Chief Executive and the Strategic Policy Committee;
- the range of housing grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs, including the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability will be reviewed, and relevant changes made, where appropriate;
- Disability Friendly Housing Technical Advisors will be appointed in each Local Authority.
205. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the extension of the defective concrete block scheme to County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51899/21]
View answerMy Department received a submission from Clare County Council, dated 23 July 2021, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A response issued to the Council on 3 August 2021 indicating that my Department would review the submission and seeking a detailed breakdown of costs associated with the Report.
A breakdown of costs associated with the Report was received on 28 September, 2021. A formal response to the submission will issue shortly from my Department. My officials updated colleagues in Clare County Council to that effect on 8 October 2021.
Any extension of the Scheme will be considered as part of wider deliberations on the Scheme by Government. In this regard, following on from receipt of the Report of the Working Group on Defective Concrete Blocks I am consulting with Government colleagues with a view to bringing proposals to Government shortly.
206. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he intends to take immediately to introduce a redesigned revenue equalisation funding model for local authorities in view of the serious anomalies that have been widely identified in the present system that leaves counties such as Galway significantly underfunded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51971/21]
View answerLocal Property Tax (LPT) was introduced to provide a stable and sustainable funding base for the local authority sector, providing greater levels of connection between local revenue and associated expenditure decisions. LPT broadens the tax base by reducing the level of central funding required by local government.
Local retention of LPT was introduced in 2015 and since then, 80% of the estimated LPT liability in each local authority area for a given year is retained in that area to fund public services, notwithstanding any local variation decisions. The remaining 20% of LPT is currently re-distributed via the Local Government Fund to provide equalisation funding to those local authorities that have lower property tax bases, due to the variance in property values and density across the country.
It is worth noting that local authorities may vary their LPT rate by up to 15%; authorities that increase the rate retain 100% of the additional income, while local authorities that decrease the rate bear the full reduction in income. Neither Galway County Council nor Galway City Council has opted to avail of this opportunity for 2021 or 2022.
The Programme for Government 'Our Shared Future', commits to bringing forward LPT reforms. These reforms will involve bringing new homes, which are currently exempt from LPT, into the taxation system as well as providing for all money collected locally to be retained within the county.
The allocations for 2022 are based on the 2021 yield. When detailed information on the new LPT yield becomes available following the revaluation process, the matter will be revisited. Any changes to the allocation process and baselines may be considered in that context.
207. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will be expedited for a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51791/21]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport application to the applicant's parent.
Applicants who require a passport for travel in an emergency such as urgent medical treatment or the death of a family member overseas can contact the Passport Service Customer Service Hub at 01 671 1633 or through the Webchat on my Department's website www.dfa.ie/passports.
The current turnaround times are 10 working days for Simple Adult renewals, 15 working days for Complex renewals, 40 working days for First Time Applications on Passport Online and 8 weeks for Passport Express for applications which have been completed correctly.
208. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education the status of progress towards meeting the commitment in the Programme for Government to expand access to social innovation programmes to all post-primary schools; the progress to date in terms of the uptake of post primary schools and students of social innovation programmes and the new funding provided and future commitments to achieve this goal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51735/21]
View answerMy Department's commitment in the Programme for Government to expand access to social innovation programmes to all post-primary schools is ongoing..
In recent years, for example, my Department has provided a grant in aid and also disimbursed Dormant Accounts Funding to 'The Young Social Innovators’ (YSI).
The YSI, pay particular attention to empowering young people who are disadvantaged socially, educationally, economically or with special needs by promoting civic, social and political learning and engagement in their communities and society so countering disadvantage and building essential learning and skills.
Below is a table showing funding allocated to YSI and participation rates in the programmes over the last three years.
|
Year |
Dept of Educatin Funding |
Dormant Account Funding |
YSI Schools |
YSI Pupils |
|
2019 |
€50,000 |
N/A |
212 |
6,668 |
|
2020 |
€50,000 |
€150,000 |
212 |
6,668 |
|
2021 |
€50,000 |
€180,000 |
272 |
8,168 |
The Department of Education funding and the Dormant Account Funding for YSI in 2022 is currently under consideration.
209. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the stage plans are at for the construction of a school building for a school (details supplied); the timeframe from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51737/21]
View answer211. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the stage plans are at for the construction of a school building for a school (details supplied); the timeframe from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51740/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 211 together.
The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.
The project will involve the construction of a new 8 classroom primary school with a Special Education Needs unit.
As with all school building projects, pre planning meetings are required with the Local Authority in advance of preparing a Planning Application. This is to ensure the highest probability of a successful planning application in the shortest time possible. A considerable amount of work is required following the pre-planning meeting to prepare a suitably detailed application. Until such time as planning permission has been secured, it will not be possible to provide a timeline for progression of the project to tender and construction stages.
The school is currently located in suitable interim accommodation pending delivery of the permanent school building.
210. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the stage plans are at for the construction of a new school building for a school (details supplied); the timeframe from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51739/21]
View answerThe major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - 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 secured.
The Design Team is currently working on the finalisation of the Stage 2(b) report which upon completion will be submitted to the Department for review and approval.
Upon receipt and review of the Stage 2(b) report my Department will be in contact with the school and its Design Team regarding the further progression of the project, including pre-qualification of contractors.
212. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if a teacher who accepted and signed a contract for a teaching position in December 2010 and started said position in January 2011 is eligible to be paid at the pre-1 January 2011 post-primary teacher's pay scale as stated in circular 0040/2011 (details supplied). [51752/21]
View answerAccess to teachers pay scales is determined by the date a teacher is first appointed to an Oireachtas funded teaching post in Ireland. An offer of employment does not determine access to teachers pay scales.
A person first appointed to an Oireachtas funded teaching post in January 2011 and whose date of first qualified teaching service is before 5 December 2011 will be paid on the 1 January 2011 qualified pay scale. Under the terms of Circular 0083/2017, the 01/01/2011 and the 01/02/2012 pay scales were amalgamated with effect from 01/01/2018.
213. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education the details of the process for securing a certificate of exemption from studying Irish at primary school level for a student (details supplied); the reason this certificate of exemption from studying Irish was refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51761/21]
View answerA parent/ guardian or pupil aged 18+ may apply to their school for an exemption from the study of Irish.
The only exceptional circumstances in which a recognised school can grant an exemption from the study of Irish are set out in circulars 0052/2019 (primary) and 0053/2019 (post primary).
In all other cases, schools are required to address a wide diversity of need by providing a differentiated learning experience for pupils in an inclusive school environment. This is informed by the principles of inclusion and the benefits of bilingualism for all pupils that underpin the Primary Languages Curriculum (PLC), the Framework for Junior Cycle (2015) and curricular provision in senior cycle.
Differentiation is a way of teaching in which teachers proactively modify curriculum, teaching methods, resources, learning activities, and student products in line with the identified needs of an individual and/or small groups of learners to maximize the learning opportunity for each learner in the classroom. The aim of differentiation is to ensure that the student can engage in purposeful and meaningful learning activities and to increase student motivation and enjoyment in order to support them in engaging with increasingly challenging tasks over time. Teachers should adapt teaching activities and resources in order that they build on the student’s identified strengths in response to need. Factors to consider when differentiating the curriculum include: differentiation by content; differentiation by process; differentiation by product, and differentiation by environment. To effectively differentiate, consideration should be given to the distinctive characteristics and learning styles of individual students.
The Primary Language Curriculum is for children of all abilities in all school contexts. This is informed by the principles of inclusion and the benefits of bilingualism for all students that underpin the Primary Languages Curriculum. It recognises and supports students’ engagement with Irish and English at different stages and rates along their language-learning journey. It builds on the language knowledge and experience that students bring to the school. The Progression Continua in the Primary Language Curriculum provide a framework for teachers to identify the student’s stage of language development and to plan interventions that support the development of language skills and competences in Irish and in English in an integrated manner, emphasising the transferability of language skills across languages.
The specification for Junior Cycle Irish aims to consolidate and deepen the students’ knowledge, understanding, values and language skills supporting their personal, cognitive and social development. The learning outcomes presented in the specification apply to all students. All pupils are encouraged to study Irish and achieve a level of personal proficiency that is appropriate to their needs and ability.
The appeals process as set out in the circulars, is focused solely on the process the school engaged in reaching its decision. The Irish Exemptions Appeals Committee (IEAC) will consider how the school followed the process as prescribed in the circulars and accompanying guidelines.
I have noted the particular distinguishing aspects of this case and I have asked my officials to make contact with the school in question.
