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Departmental Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 May 2010

Thursday, 6 May 2010

Ceisteanna (150)

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

148 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide the details of all private colleges that have received funding from the special education support service and the teaching education section of the Department of Education and Skills under the national development plan; the amount of funds which have been made available to the colleges; the tendering procedure that took place, if any, for the colleges to avail of these funds; the eligibility criteria for a college to apply for these funds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18407/10]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Teacher Education Section of my Department directly funds Froebel College, Coláiste Mhuire, Marino Institute of Education and Church of Ireland College of Education in connection with the provision of programmes of initial teacher education leading to qualification as a primary teacher.

Froebel College, Church of Ireland College of Education and Coláiste Mhuire, MIE each provide a Bachelor of Education course. Froebel College and Coláiste Mhuire, MIE also provide an 18 month post graduate primary teacher education course.

My Department approves the annual intake of students to the initial teacher education programmes in these Colleges of Education and payment is made in accordance with student numbers. Froebel College and Coláiste Mhuire, MIE are funded to provide these courses by my Department via capitation grants and tuition fee grants.

The Church of Ireland College of Education is funded via tuition fee grants and on a budget grant basis. The grant paid represents the full cost of the approved staffing and the excess of expenditure over income in regard to maintenance and running costs.

The table below details the expenditure by my Department to each college for these courses:

Grants to Summer Gaeltacht Colleges

Year

Froebel

Coláiste Mhuire, MIE

Church of Ireland College of Education

2009

3,023,897

4,742,392

2,528,259

2008

3,335,251

4,932,172

2,910,971

2007

2,942,498

4,159,376

2,481,350

Satisfactory attendance at an Irish language course in the Gaeltacht is a compulsory element of both the three year B.Ed. degree course and the 18 month postgraduate diploma course in primary teaching. The Irish language courses are provided by Gaeltacht summer colleges. My Department approves the course content and the students in the Colleges of Education decide which Gaeltacht college to attend. The Colleges submit their rolls as verification of the students' attendance and my Department pays grants directly to the management authorities of the Gaeltacht colleges.

The total amounts paid to the Colleges in recent years are detailed below:

Year

2009

1,073,952

2008

1,062,982

2007

875,329

There are currently 5 colleges providing the approved course as follows: Coláiste Loch con Aortha, Radharc an Chláir, Coilleach, An Spidéal, Co. na Gaillimhe, Coláiste Isliomáin, Inis Meáin, Oileáin Arann, Co. na Gaillimhe, Coláiste Cholmcille(Gaoth Dobhair), Doire Beag, Leitir Ceanainn, Tir Chonaill, Co. Dhún na NGall, Coláiste Chiaráin, An Cheathrú Rua, Co. na Gaillimhe, Comharchumann Forbartha Chorca Dhuibhne Teo, Baile'n Fhirtéaraigh, Trá Lí, Co. Chiarraí

My Department also funds a number of programmes in the area of Special Educational Needs. One of these, the Combined Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers involved in Learning Support and Special Education, is provided by Church of Ireland College of Education (CICE) as well as a number of other Colleges across the country. The funding provided to CICE in 2009 to support the provision of this course amounted to €48,000.

In addition to the above, following receipt of a proposal in 2006 from St Patrick's College, Drumcondra and the Institute of Child Education and Psychology Europe (ICEPE), my Department has also funded the development of an online Certificate/Diploma in Education (Special/Inclusive Education). The development fund amounted to €421,500 paid out over 2006 and 2007. The development of this programme represented a positive development in providing widespread access to professional development in the area of inclusion of students with special educational needs for mainstream teachers, irrespective of geographical location.

None of the above were tendered for.

My Department also issued a tender in Autumn 2008, the primary purpose of which was to assemble an inventory of on-line programmes to be utilised by the Special Education Support Service (SESS) in the delivery of CPD for teachers of students with Special Educational Needs. This tender was entirely open to all providers and a number of tenders were received. ICEPE was the only organisation successful in having a number of courses recognised for utilisation by the SESS. Funding in this instance is provided in the form of partial subvention of participant fees. A total of €166,840 was paid out in 2009 towards the cost of participant fees.

Question No. 149 answered with Question No. 147.
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