Michael Ring
Ceist:642 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the recommended minimum and maximum number of pupils per supervisor. [11120/02]
Written Answers. - School Supervision.
Michael Ring
Ceist:644 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of post-primary schools in County Mayo; the number of pupils per school; and the number of supervisors per school. [11122/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:645 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the funding allocated per school for supervision in County Mayo. [11123/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:646 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the authority and powers of the school supervisors. [11126/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:647 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science if any of the supervisor positions in County Mayo are being shared by a number of people; and if so, the number in this regard. [11127/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:648 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science if he recommended that preference be given to unemployed people in the appointment of supervisors. [11128/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:649 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of supervisors who were unemployed immediately prior to being appointed in County Mayo. [11129/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:650 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of supervisors appointed in County Mayo. [11130/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:651 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the sanctions imposed on schools who failed to advertise the supervisor positions. [11131/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:652 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to supervisor posts being filled without being advertised. [11132/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:653 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science if it was a requirement that all supervisor posts be advertised. [11133/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:654 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the total cost of supervisors per school, per week in County Mayo. [11134/02]
Michael Ring
Ceist:655 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the hours per week, per supervisor, for each school in County Mayo. [11135/02]
Jim Higgins
Ceist:719 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost to date of providing supervision in post primary schools as a result of the ASTI industrial action; and the total number of outside persons recruited to carry out supervision duties. [11404/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:804 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the total cost to date and the projected cost by the end of the school year of the employment of school assistants or supervisors arising from the ongoing industrial dispute; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11872/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 642, 644 to 655, inclusive, 719, and 804 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.
Contingency arrangements were drawn up by the representative management groups, the Joint Managerial Body – JMB – the Irish Vocational Education Association – IVEA – and the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools – ACS – following detailed discussions with officials of my Department. 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 in 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, based on a minimum of two hours supervision. Where further supervision above these two hours is required, this is being remunerated at €34.28 per additional hour. This is the equivalent to the hourly rate offered to teachers.
For purposes of the contingency arrangements, payments have been made to schools by my Department, calculated on the basis of €1,270 per whole time equivalent teacher post per annum. In addition, funding has also been provided to cover employers' PRSI and holiday pay. Under the contingency arrangements a payment amounting to 5% of supervision costs are been provided to schools to pay for additional support, including secretarial assistance. In aggregate, the sum disbursed to schools amounts to some €12 million, which equates to 12 weeks calculated in accordance with the above formula. 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 available.
Advertising for the supervisor posts was organised at national level by the JMB which placed advertisements in the national media over the weekend of 16-17 February on behalf of the managerial authorities of all schools. Schools were advised that in order to secure applications from suitable available personnel, other mechanisms, such as local advertising and local notices, could also be used. The JMB organised training on a regional basis and operated a telephone helpline for schools. In addition, schools were advised to arrange for a period of local induction to familiarise new employees with their specific duties and the school. My Department has recouped €163,981 to the JMB to offset the cost of providing these services to date.
The contingency plan, by its nature, is flexible and does not specify a pupil-supervisor ratio. As it is recognised that the number of supervisors required would vary from school to school depending on local circumstances including layout, both internal and external, it is considered that individual school management authorities are best placed to assess the level of cover and the number of persons required on an ongoing basis. Responsibility accordingly for the making of appointments is a matter for school authorities. Schools were advised through the contingency plan as to the terms and conditions of employment that were appropriate to the appointments. The terms and conditions include the duties to be performed by each appointee and the accountability arrangements for the performance of these duties. Schools were not advised to give a preference in making appointments to unemployed people. Information concerning the number of persons recruited by schools to carry out supervision duties, the number of hours worked per supervisor and previous employment status is not available to my Department.
In the case of schools in County Mayo, the information requested by the Deputy is being compiled in my Department and will be forwarded directly to him.