Written Answers Nos. 328-337
328. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total number of consultancy reports commissioned or funded by his Department that have been categorised or designated as not for external publication from 2011 to date; the total costs incurred on commissioning or funding these reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52996/23]
View answerMy Department considers hiring external consultants to produce reports in cases where there is not the necessary expertise to deliver the project in-house, in cases where an external assessment is deemed essential, or in cases where a project must be completed within a short time scale, and although the expertise or experience may be available in-house, performing the task would involve a prohibitive opportunity cost. My Department complies with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's guidelines for engagements of consultants by the civil service, having regard to public procurement guidelines.
Many reports commissioned are intended to be published, however, some are to inform internal procedures, to contribute to internal decision making, to provide insights for policy making, or to deliver data or analysis which contributes to broader reports published by my Department.
The total number of consultancy reports commissioned or funded by my Department that have been categorised as not for external publication from 2011 to date, along with the costs of same, are set out in tabular form below. This response relates to report producing consultancy and excludes ICT consultancy/testing services, audit services and legal advice. Note that some reports span two years, incurring costs in both.
|
Year |
Number of non-published reports |
Total Costs |
|
2011 |
1 |
€59,565.00 |
|
2012 |
2 |
€105,432.62 |
|
2013 |
2 |
€52,964.30 |
|
2014 |
2 |
€64,206.00 |
|
2015 |
3 |
€194,355.05 |
|
2016 |
4 |
€134,503.00 |
|
2017 |
5 |
€429,197.00 |
|
2018 |
3 |
€95,125.50 |
|
2019 |
2 |
€134,426.00 |
|
2020 |
5 |
€358,492.00 |
|
2021 |
3 |
€57,067.00 |
|
2022 |
8* |
€147,392.00 |
|
2023 to date |
5* |
€76,403.00 |
*2022 and 2023 include reports prepared for the independent Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce. These reports contributed to the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce Report.
329. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the review of critical skills and ineligible occupations lists will be completed and published; if upholsterers (5412) and furniture makers (5442) will be included on the critical skills list;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53037/23]
View answerThe deliberative process to review the occupations lists (Ineligible Occupations List and Critical Skills Occupation List) for employment permits is nearing completion. The review incorporates a public consultation to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to submit data on the extent of skills or labour shortages. These evidence-based submissions were considered by the Interdepartmental Group (IDG) on Economic Migration Policy.
The IDG was convened on 26 October to oversee the review, consider evidence and submissions and to collect the observations from Government departments with regard to shortages and impacts in their sectors.
The final report of the IDG has now been received by my office for my consideration this week. I am currently reviewing its recommendations and will make an announcement on the revised lists of occupations for employment permits in the near future. The outcome will be published on my Department’s website once finalised.
The roles of Upholsterer and Furniture Maker are listed on the Ineligible Occupations List and are therefore not eligible for employment permits at the present time. Over 100 submissions were received to the review covering a number of occupations in a range of sectors including these occupations.
330. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount his Department spent in 2021, 2022 and up to 27 November 2023 on advertisements with a website (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53050/23]
View answerMy Department has advertised on X (formally Twitter) in the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. A breakdown of that advertising spend to 27 November 2023 is set out in the table below.
|
Year |
Spend |
|
2021 |
€19,831.77 |
|
2022 |
€34,330.02 |
|
2023 |
€8,709.72 |
331. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount his Department spent in 2021, 2022 and up to 27 November 2023 on advertisements with two websites (details supplied) respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53070/23]
View answerMy Department advertised on Facebook and Instagram in the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. A breakdown of that advertising spend to 27 November 2023 is set out in the table below.
|
Year |
Facebook and Instagram |
|
2021 |
€9,837.40 |
|
2022 |
€79,659.62 |
|
2023 |
€4,212.46 |
332. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount his Department spent in 2021, 2022 and up to 27 November 2023 on advertisements with a website (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53087/23]
View answerMy department has not placed advertising with Google in the years 2021, 2022 or up to 27 November 2023.
333. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the number of tribunals, public investigations and commissions of investigations in process; the length of time each has been underway; when each will conclude; the cost to date of each; and the estimated cost of each at completion. [44814/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that there are no tribunals, public investigations, or commissions of investigation currently underway within my Department, or commissioned by my Department at present.
Certain units within my Department conduct investigations in line with their statutory responsibilities. Reports from these investigations are available publicly on their websites as follows:
- Air Accident Investigation Unit: www.aaiu.ie
- Rail Accident Investigation Unit: www.raiu.ie
Investigations into marine casualties are carried out by the Marine Casualties Investigations Board (MCIB) which is an independent body, which may provide recommendations to the Minister for Transport in relation to improving safety of life at sea. There are no investigations directed by the Minister in relation to marine casualties. Details of investigations conducted by the MCIB can be found on their website: www.mcib.ie/
334. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education if she will report on her Department’s review of the operation of the school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52660/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/23 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
There has been an overall increase in both applications and tickets issued for the 2023/2024 school year in comparison to the 2022/2023 school year.
Under the current terms of the scheme, pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible. Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.
Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level are being continued for the current school year. Under these measures, which were initially introduced in 2019, transport will be provided where there is a route in operation and where capacity exists for concessionary post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied and paid on time.
Undoubtedly, the School Transport Scheme is of huge importance to families. A review has been conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness, and sustainability and to ensure it services students and their families adequately. Considering how to best maximise the benefits now and into the future has been a significant factor in the ongoing review of the Scheme. The school transport scheme has been in operation for over 55 years, since its establishment in 1967, and this review is one of the most extensive investigations that has been carried out into the Scheme since then.
There has been extensive consultation with parents, students, providers, and other key stakeholders, as part of this engagement we consulted with families who use the scheme, who would like to use the scheme and also with young people with special educational needs and mainstream students. The results from the stakeholder engagement with parents and children illustrated the importance of school transport to families with most indicating it is a safe and reliable service which helps families to live and work in rural Ireland. Another important finding of the stakeholder engagement process was that the Special Educational Needs Transport Scheme supports many children in attending specialist school placements which they may otherwise may not be able to attend.
An analysis of school transport schemes in other jurisdictions was also conducted as part of this stakeholder engagement and review process including the EU, the UK, the United States and Australia. This research and analysis outlined the evidence in terms of the need for a school transport service in an Irish context compared to some comparative countries as well as an analysis of the costs to users of school transport services in some other jurisdictions.
The Technical Working Group and the Steering Group have recently completed their work on the final report of the review. This final report includes recommendations on the future operation of the scheme. The report has recently been submitted by the Steering Group for my consideration.
I am aware that this review is much-awaited, it is recognised that there are improvements which need to be made to the scheme and I know the importance of doing so. I expect to be in a position shortly to bring the review to government, and further to government approval, the review will be published.
336. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she will review circular M02/95 to emphasise the duty of care a school has to accommodate their own pupils where there is a demonstrated justification for a child to repeat a year for educational, health, mental health or developmental reasons. [52901/23]
View answerThe Department is providing considerable resources to support pupils' progression in schools. Special Education Teachers and Special Needs Assistants, as well as a wide range of resources under the various schemes for schools in areas designated as disadvantaged, are among the forms of provision allocated to schools to support pupils. The level of provision available should enable pupils to make progress in keeping with their needs and abilities, and to move consecutively through the different class levels in the school along with their peers.
Department Circular M02/95 sets out the position for those students who wish to repeat a year at post-primary level. Schools have discretion to accept applications from students who wish to repeat a school year, in line with the terms defined in the circular. This includes consideration of the circumstances of the individual pupil in terms of prolonged absence from school for reasons of ill-health, or serious illness which has a seriously damaging effect on the pupil's academic performance at school, or serious family trauma which has had a seriously damaging effect on the pupil's academic performance, among other factors as set out in the circular.
In making such decisions, schools will also have to factor in local circumstances such as physical space, classroom layout and timetables, as well as numbers of such requests received by the school.
337. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education how many children are still awaiting a school place in the Dublin Fingal constituency for the 2022/2023 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52903/23]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area;
- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area;
- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils;
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area.
There are 12 School Planning Areas within or partially within the Dublin Fingal constituency. Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, my Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity and identifies any requirement for additional provision.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
There are currently a number of active projects at post-primary level in the Dublin Fingal Constituency which will increase local capacity. The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on my Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
The Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/. The specific information requested is not available at this time.
The requirement for additional school places in the Dublin Fingal constituency is kept under on-going review. Additionally, my Department will continue to liaise with the local Council in respect of its review of the Development Plan with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements.
