Gerry Reynolds
Ceist:714 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost for the week ending 10 March 2002 for providing supervisors, specially recruited, for second level schools. [8529/02]
Written Answers. - School Supervisors.
Pádraic McCormack
Ceist:717 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science the financial cost to his Department for replacing the teachers who have withdrawn their services in carrying out supervision and substitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8550/02]
Nora Owen
Ceist:729 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Education and Science the costs involved in having substitute supervisors throughout the country; and the estimated costs per day for such substitutions. [8603/02]
John Bruton
Ceist:738 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the financial cost of providing supervision and replacing teachers within each school during the week 4 March 2002 to 8 March 2002 inclusive; if his Department has calculated the financial costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8634/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:741 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost per week of payments to specially employed school staff who have been recruited to replace teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8637/02]
Tony Gregory
Ceist:746 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science the financial cost per week for supervision of second level students arising from the dispute with the ASTI. [8642/02]
Paul McGrath
Ceist:748 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of lay people who were recruited as supervisors in secondary schools in the week beginning 4 March 2002; the number of schools in which they were working; and the estimated cost of this measure for that week. [8666/02]
Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:755 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost of replacing second-level teachers for supervisory duties for the week beginning 4 March 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8679/02]
Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:758 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost for the week beginning 4 March 2002 of employing temporary staff for supervision in second level schools arising from the ASTI dispute. [8716/02]
John V. Farrelly
Ceist:767 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost of the advisers employed by his Department during the recent ASTI stall on supervision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8733/02]
Seán Ryan
Ceist:770 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost of employing the extra staff recruited to take over supervision and substitution duties at our schools in the week commencing 4 March 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8747/02]
Gay Mitchell
Ceist:774 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the full financial cost of the first week of having supervisors in secondary schools including advertising, recruitment, training, wages and other costs; the expected weekly and annual cost thereafter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8804/02]
Seán Barrett
Ceist:802 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Science the financial cost to the Exchequer of replacing those post-primary teachers who withdrew from supervision and substitution during the first week of the teachers' action. [8893/02]
Brian Hayes
Ceist:810 Mr. B. Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost involved to his Department in replacing teachers in schools as a result of industrial action carried out by some teachers' unions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8901/02]
Monica Barnes
Ceist:841 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost to his Department of replacing the teachers for supervisory duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9066/02]
Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:845 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount of money which has been allocated for payment of supervisors for the current school year; and the pupil supervisor ratio. [9078/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:876 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the total number of school supervisors or assistants currently employed and arising from his Department's dispute with the ASTI; the number of places to be filled in this regard; the total projected and year end cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9277/02]
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:907 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost of the contingency plans needed to offset the industrial action of teachers in secondary schools recently under each heading such as playground supervision and replacement teachers. [9394/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 714, 717, 729, 738, 741, 746, 748, 755, 758, 767, 770, 774, 802, 810, 841, 845, 876 and 907 together.
Officials of my Department held discussions with the representatives of the managerial authorities in the second level sector, in order to ensure that schools would remain open when the ASTI directive to its members to withdraw from voluntary supervision and substitution duties took effect on 4 March 2002.
Arising from these discussions a contingency plan was prepared and agreed between my Department and the managerial authorities. As part of the contingency arrangements, my Department undertook to resource schools in order that they could employ staff to provide supervision and thereby remain open. In addition, my Department undertook to recoup the cost to the management authorities of advertising for, recruiting and training personnel to provide supervision services in schools on a temporary contractual basis.
Supervisors who contracted for delivery of supervision services are being remunerated at a daily contract rate of €68.56, £54, based on a minimum of two hours supervision. Where further supervision above these two hours is required this is being remunerated at €34.28, £27, per additional hour. This is the equivalent to the hourly rate offered to teachers.
To put schools in funds for the purposes of the contingency arrangements, an initial payment was made to schools by my Department on 28 February 2002, and was based upon six weeks of the annual grant, calculated on the basis of €1,270, £1,000, per whole time equivalent teacher post per annum, with a stipulation that further payments of the grant will be made to schools at the appropriate stages of the contingency. In addition, funding was provided to cover employers PRSI, holiday pay and administrative costs. In aggregate, the sum dispersed to schools was approximately €7 million, £5.5 million.
The contingency plan acknowledges that supplementary allocations may need to be made to some schools at a later stage if their approved outgoings are greater than the amount of the grant. Accordingly, the final costs are not yet available.
The joint managerial body, JMB, placed advertisements on behalf of the managerial authorities in the national media over the weekend of 16 and 17 February. In addition, the JMB organised training on a regional basis and operated a telephone help-line for schools. My Department has recouped €114,258.47, £89,985.86, to the JMB to offset the cost of providing these services to date. Information concerning the number of people recruited and the number of schools in which they are working is not readily available at this stage, as these personnel are recruited directly by the school authorities.
The contingency plan does not specify a pupil/supervisor ratio, as the plan recognised that the number of persons required would vary from school to school depending on the layout, both internal and external.