Other Questions
6 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for designating Waterford Institute of Technology as a university in view of the aftermath of the loss of 400 plus jobs in the TalkTalk telecommunications company in Waterford; his views on this as an essential component in order to attract employment to the south east. [25112/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra16 Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to establish a technological university in the south east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25208/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 16 together.
The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 lays out a clear development pathway for amalgamated institutes of technology which meet specified performance criteria to seek redesignation as technological universities. I have asked the Higher Education Authority for its formal advice on draft performance criteria, and the authority is currently engaged in a consultation process. I expect to be in a position to publish the criteria before the end of December. As I said earlier to the Deputy, I hope to do that this side of Christmas. Once a process is in place, it will be open to institutes of technology to come together to make applications for consideration for redesignation. All applications will be considered under an independent assessment process.
Waterford Institute of Technology has an excellent reputation for industry collaboration and for its highly skilled graduates. It has strong links with the TalkTalk workforce and is actively working with the other education and training providers and agencies in the region to support those who are losing their jobs.
Waterford city is the only gateway city that does not have a university. I listened to the Minister's point about the consultation process. Would he not accept that there has been a lack of urgency in this regard in the past? Other Ministers have considered this previously. I agree with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, that this is not the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to solving the problems facing Waterford, but it would be a step in the right direction.
The Government is talking about the possibility of a technological university for Waterford. What does that mean? Would it be on a par with other universities in the State? Would it put Waterford and the south east into the top tier of university provision? Would a technological university have the finance, autonomy and branding of a fully fledged university? There is a credibility gap because the process has taken so long.
The Minister mentioned that the institute has links with TalkTalk. There is also an issue to do with the fact that money was not obtained from the European globalisation adjustment fund. People are angry and upset about the fact that we will not be using this resource. We should look again at this. The general consensus across the political spectrum seems to be that we need to move forward urgently in terms of university status for Waterford Institute of Technology.
If I may respond to the second part of the Deputy's question, most people would agree that the way in which FÁS, soon to be changed to SOLAS, handled the globalisation adjustment fund was not acceptable. As the Deputy probably heard on the radio, there was a breakdown in communication which meant that front-line staff meeting unemployed workers had not been informed about this opportunity. That is to be deplored. As the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, mentioned, that is one of the reasons we are completely dismantling FÁS and introducing SOLAS. The requirement for access to the globalisation fund is that there must have been more than 500 redundancies within a given period of time in a certain area, and I am not sure what is happening on that front. It is a matter for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, and his Department.
With regard to the issue of the designation of universities, this is now part of the global world of standards. We have asked Professor Simon Marginson, an Australian academic who is familiar with the Irish third level sector, to consider the criteria that should be essential for a technological university. The designation will mean that a university's primary focus is in the application of technology to industry. The criteria will be clearly set out. The draft criteria were submitted by Professor Marginson earlier this year. They are now being worked on by the HEA and I hope to have them this side of Christmas.
7 Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if provision will be made for late applications submitted to the Residential Institutions Redress Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25209/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002, applicants had a period of three years in which to submit an application to the redress board, that is, until 15 December 2005, nearly six years ago. However, section 8 of the Act allowed the board to extend the period for receipt of applications in exceptional circumstances. The board considers individually each submission as to why an application was not lodged in time. The recently enacted Residential Institutions Redress (Amendment) Act 2011 removed the board's power to accept late applications received on or after 17 September 2011. It is now over eight and a half years since the board was established and five and a half years after the initial closing date, and I am satisfied that sufficient time has been given to potential applicants to apply to the redress board.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I think it was in July that we discussed that legislation, which was taken through the House by the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon. What the Minister says is correct; the process has been ongoing for a number of years. When we were discussing that legislation on Second Stage and Committee Stage, I asked whether provision could be made, with the establishment of the statutory fund, that where in exceptional circumstances a late application was received which met the criteria, provision could be made for it to be processed. I envisaged this as a safety valve, a mechanism that would not need to be activated as all applicants who met the criteria would, I hoped, have submitted their applications by 16 June last. In the meantime, in August and September, I received correspondence and telephone calls from a number of people who have been involved with survivors of the residential schools — people who had unfortunately been abused — and they told me that the trend in the past, when there were deadlines for submitting applications, had been that late applications were typically from people who were the most vulnerable survivors of the industrial school system. That is why I am worried there may still be a small cohort of people who are very vulnerable and who, unfortunately, will not have submitted their applications on time. I ask that some mechanism be established in the forthcoming legislation to ensure such applications, if they are submitted, can be processed.
I remind the Minister and Deputies that there is a one minute limit on supplementary questions.
Since this House signed off on that legislation and announced that the scheme would close on 16 September, there have been 2,767 applications, which are being processed. Some have been accepted, some rejected, and so on. In deference to the time restrictions I will offer to write to the Deputy with the details. In all honesty, a reasonable window of time has been provided. The fact is that the announcement of the closing date of 16 September effectively produced nearly 3,000 fresh applications a number of years after the publicity surrounding the board had died down.
We have all talked to different groups and individuals who have been through the process, and many of them do not want to go down the road of seeking redress, but they may at some stage. Mentally, they are not in a position to do so at this stage. It seems so unfair that a person could be entitled to redress on a particular date but not after that. We accept the wrongs done to these people, yet we have decided to close the scheme on an arbitrary date. Many people who have actually been through the process say they regret going down that road. People are still trying to work out in their own heads whether to seek redress. There needs to be a window in which they can do this.
During the discussion on the legislation, I asked the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, if he could ask the officials of the redress board to ensure the final closing date of 16 September would be widely publicised outside our own island. Does the Minister have available to him the number of those applications that came from outside our own jurisdiction?
I do not know but I will communicate that information to the Deputy. A number of legal firms have placed advertisements in Irish journals in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, as Members will be aware. Even if a person was so badly damaged from his or her experience as to be unable to make a proper application there was no shortage of lawyers prepared to do it. It had to be brought to an end. Since we stated the final date to be 16 September, an extra 2,767 applications have been submitted.
At that time, in discussions with the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, I asked that the Irish network abroad, through the different representative associations, would engage with this because they might know from among their membership people who might be potential applicants. That would be better than depending on lawyers and advertising to propagate the closing date.
I had those discussions. There was a conference in July in the Clock Tower in the Department at which there were representatives from the Federation of Irish Societies.
8 Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on allowing children who have been attending primary school to continue to avail of the existing transport arrangements. [25097/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraEligible primary school children who meet the requisite distance criterion of 3.2 km will continue to retain school transport eligibility for the duration of their schooling. The distance criterion of 3.2 km is now being applied nationally to all eligible children availing of transport under the primary school transport scheme. Furthermore, in order to assist families residing in a closed school area, children enrolling in junior infants in September 2011 were considered eligible for school transport to their nearest school, provided they met the distance eligibility criterion.
The changes to the school transport scheme follow on from a detailed value for money review of that scheme. Many of the changes are designed as modernising and efficiency measures. This is aside altogether from the stark reality that the changes are required to enable the delivery of school transport at a reduced cost to the taxpayer, an absolute imperative in the circumstances facing this country.
My understanding is that there are families with children who qualify for the bus but the parent is driving behind. Will there be a review of the implementation of this scheme? In six months will the Minister ask if it is working? An example was given by a Member from his area. There may be low numbers on a bus. I have an example given by a woman who spoke of the school bus passing the house. The child in question has severe difficulties and attends a special school, which the bus actually passes. However, because of a technicality, which I will pass on to the Minister, the child does not qualify for transport.
The system does not work for many families. I ask the Minister to examine this at some stage. It creates a barrier with regard to parents and work, if the mother or father has to bring those children to school. That creates difficulty in itself and, regardless of the extra cost, it is a burden on those individuals. How does one explain that one child can go on the bus but another cannot? It does not make sense.
I will try to frame a response to that particular case if the Deputy forwards details of that child with special needs.
The parents travel 240 km per day, yet the bus goes by the door.
Regarding an ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of the school transport system, as a result of the value for money review instigated by the last Government a significant number of changes were proposed and are now being implemented. One such change is that the requirement from September 2012 will be that children will be provided with transport to their nearest school. That has the potential to throw up some small anomalies although these are not significant in number.
In its assessment of this provision, Bus Éireann gave us its opinion that approximately 5% of children currently attending school and availing of school transport would be adversely affected. I asked Bus Éireann to return to me with more detailed data on that point. Anecdotally, I am led to believe the number may be significantly greater than 5% and I wish to establish if that is the case and, if so, whether there is a solution we can arrive at that continues to produce the saving but does not impinge negatively on families as it might.
Is there any consultation between Bus Éireann or Bus Átha Cliath, the parents or the schools, in regard to changing bus pick-up points?
Given the implementation of the rule that the child will only be eligible for transport to the nearest school, will siblings be able to avail of transport to a school where older family members are attending? We do not want a situation where the children in a family are going to two different primary schools.
Regarding the rule for next year, do I take it this presumes there is a school place in the school in question? If a rule is rigidly applied the school may well be within the distance but there may not be a place provided. This may not seem a major point but it could prevent a child receiving an entitlement.
The changes as currently proposed would allow for a situation to arise where there might be one or two siblings who are currently eligible for school transport but younger siblings about to enter the school system are not eligible. The system as envisaged by the last Government would have allowed that to happen. We are trying to work out a way in order to ensure that does not occur. It will not be easy or straightforward and must be done in the context of continuing to achieve the saving of €17 million between now and 2014.
A number of anomalies may crop up. We are beginning to hear from schools and parents as to what they are. There is consultation and I have met with a number of parent groups from all over the country, both in my office and in their own locations. I am anxious to address the anomalies. They are few and far between but still exist and must be addressed.
9 Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of special needs assistants employed at present; if further approvals will be made for this school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25231/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has advised all mainstream schools of their special needs assistant, SNA, allocations for the 2011-2012 school year. SNA provision in special schools is currently being reviewed. Some 475 of the total 10,575 SNA posts available are being retained in order to allocate them over the coming school year in cases such as emergency, appeals, acquired injuries or new school entrants. Approximately 10,100 whole time equivalent SNA posts have therefore been allocated to date. The NCSE will publish details of the SNA allocations which they have made to schools to date for the 2011-2012 school year. This will be available on the NCSE website shortly at www.ncse.ie, a new departure undertaken by the NCSE at my request. The NCSE has capacity to increase SNA allocations for schools from the retained pool of 475 posts. However, as these posts have to cater for demand to the end of the school year the NCSE must manage the allocation of any additional posts in a measured and prioritised manner.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Do I understand him correctly that the NCSE is reviewing the allocation to all special schools?
Yes.
I presume the remaining approvals that can issue, in total 475, are applicable to all primary schools?
Yes.
As the school year proceeds, can we be sure there will be no inordinate delay in ensuring that SNAs are approved and put in place as soon as possible where the relevant criteria are met?
Deputy Crowe inquired about a school in County Kildare. I am aware of the case in question because I have received correspondence in respect of it. I know the parents involved and also one of the children who requires particular attention. I join Deputy Crowe in requesting that the Minister ask the NCSE to review this very special case as a matter of urgency.
The Deputy is correct in his analysis. Special schools are being reviewed by the NCSE. As I indicated to Deputy Crowe, the school in County Kildare forms part of that review. A decision may well be made to allocate to it an additional resource from the pool of 475 to which I referred. I am not entirely sure what is the practice, but I will inform myself with regard to it. However, there is a precedent and pattern from previous years. There is no intention to retain these posts rather than allocating them. I imagine that a number will be allocated between now and Christmas. A smaller number will be kept in reserve as the school year progresses. As a result of the State's loss of sovereignty in certain areas, we no longer have control over the employment control framework. This means that only a certain number of people can be employed in the public sector. As indicated, in order to be able to respond to a crisis, we need to have some reserves in place. These reserves will drop in number as the school year progresses.
The primary school-going population changes very little after Hallowe'en. If, therefore, the Minister approved appointments in respect of 99.99% of the 475 positions, I do not believe he would be straying outside the terms of the employment control framework. The earlier approvals issue the better. This matter is of the utmost importance to the children and families involved.
10 Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a comprehensive survey will be undertaken of teachers at second level who have the appropriate qualifications for teaching maths; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25223/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Teaching Council recently carried out a survey of post-primary schools to ascertain the qualifications of maths teachers. The results of the survey show that a significant majority of teachers — 68% — teaching maths in 258 schools are fully qualified to do so, that 29% have pursued some studies in maths and that only 2% have not obtained third level qualifications or pursued studies in maths. The Teaching Council has asked schools which have not completed the earlier survey to do so by 26 September.
Providing for high quality teaching and learning of mathematics is of key strategic importance to the State. As part of the Government's overall strategy to improve the teaching and learning of maths in schools, my Department is making arrangements for the provision of a new training programme for maths teachers. This will provide unqualified maths teachers with the opportunity to upskill their knowledge of mathematics and study the strategies best suited to the new Project Maths syllabuses.
When the results of the survey become available, will the Minister of State be in a position to ensure schools will no longer be able to hire unqualified maths teachers? Will the programme of upskilling and the opportunity to gain additional qualifications be mandatory for maths teachers who do not, per se, possess a degree in the subject?
To give the Deputy a straight answer, I am not in a position to do this. As he is well aware, the boards of management of schools have autonomy in respect of who they hire and fire. There is an issue of governance in that regard. I ask the Deputy to have faith in the process being undertaken. We must obtain the results of the survey and analyse them. As announced on 12 September, a programme that will allow for continuing education and continuing professional development, CPD, for unqualified maths teachers is to be rolled out. The contract in this regard is due to go to tender shortly. I would be cautious with regard to the Department exercising control over decisions made by individual schools. Again, I ask the Deputy to have faith. We will analyse the results of the survey and proceed cautiously. There must be an outcome which ensures teachers are properly qualified and that students obtain good results in their examinations. In that context, we must seek to ensure there is a deeper engagement in this matter. We will not turn the ship around overnight; it is going to take some time to do this.
I accept what the Minister of State said. Does he have faith in this hastily arranged survey undertaken by the Teaching Council? I understand only 30% of schools actually responded to the survey. Does the Minister of State accept evidence from that number of schools as a good snapshot of the overall position? Is it correct that when Project Maths was launched, funding was provided in order that maths teachers might avail of the programmes to which the Minister of State referred? What was the level of take-up in this regard?
On a separate issue, concerns have been expressed by many gaelscoileanna about the competency of certain individuals to teach certain subjects through Irish. It is possible that maths is one of these subjects. Will it be possible to ascertain from the survey whether there is such a lack of competency? Particular concerns have been expressed by gaelscoileanna about teachers who are entering the system and who may not have the requisite competency in teaching certain subjects through Irish.
This question relates to maths.
Yes, but the matter to which I refer may be picked up on in the survey.
Is the Deputy referring to the teaching of maths?
It is a separate question.
It relates to the survey. Is it possible that the survey may reveal that there are difficulties in certain subjects being taught through Irish?
We are running out of time.
I ask that the Deputy table a separate parliamentary question on that matter. This question relates to the teaching of maths.
With regard to Deputy Smith's question, there are no exact figures for the take-up of CPD. However, I will endeavour to come back to him at a later date with additional information on the matter. If he is asking whether I am satisfied with the rate of reply to the survey, the straight answer is that I am not. The schools have until 26 September to provide responses to it. I ask the Deputy to have some forbearance and allow us to assess the position at that point. The Department and the Minister, Deputy Quinn, are extremely conscious of the fact that we must grapple with this issue. We must do so on the basis that we will be provided with a true picture of the actual scenario. In that context, the agencies and stakeholders involved have been given a clear signal to the effect that we require sound data. We cannot make proper policy decisions unless such data which must be both qualitative and quantitative are forthcoming. I hope the Deputy will accept my comments on this matter in good faith.
11 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the remarks made recently by the Provost of Trinity College, who said that the quality of Irish higher education faced a speedy decline unless the funding crisis is addressed by introducing fees for those who can afford to pay. [25116/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe reality of the economic situation and the public expenditure corrections which must be made present challenges to the higher education sector. Future demand for participation growth must be reconciled with limitations on public resources and a need to protect and enhance core quality. The nature of these difficult trade-offs is described in the national strategy for higher education to 2030 which also identifies the need for more detailed analysis. I have asked the Higher Education Authority to undertake further work on the sustainability of the existing funding framework and the intention in this regard is to assess the inter-relationships and tensions between three parameters, namely, growth in student numbers, funding constraints and quality. The work to which I refer will inform consideration by the Government of policy options in respect of the future funding of the sector. I am anxious to ensure any new funding framework will not impact on access for students.
Is Question No. 14 being taken with Question No. 11.
I listened to the remarks made by the Provost of Trinity College. He referred to the cuts made and stated we had to give serious consideration to the matter. Are the cuts creating these conditions, as suggested in the Minister's reply? Trinity College has fallen 13 places to 65th in the rankings and University College Dublin has fallen 20 places to 134th. Did that happen as a result of the impact these cuts are having on third level education in this country? If so, it is a serious wake-up call for the Government. If we are serious about producing well-qualified graduates, our universities must be fit for purpose. If funding is the problem, we need to be told.
These index measurements are being looked at internationally as education becomes a more globalised phenomenon. The further people are from an educational institution like a university, the more likely they are to look at an index or a guidebook when considering that institution, just as they do with all other products and services. There are a number of determining factors in the QS rankings. I do not have them readily to hand. They are partly based on the ratio of academic staff to students. There is no doubt that the reductions in staff numbers associated with the employment control framework have damaged our performance under that index. The rankings are determined by many other things, including the number of academic papers that members of staff have had published internationally. Such factors might not necessarily relate directly to funding or staff numbers. That is the honest answer. There is cause for concern. The positive side of it, which we should keep in the picture, is that there are approximately 15,000 universities in the world and all of our universities are in the top 500.
The worry is that it will be seen as a drop in standards. If it is considered that we are going in the wrong direction, it will send the wrong signal to students from abroad who may be thinking of coming to Irish universities. We have to look at the broader issues. I presume one of those issues is funding, but there may be other issues, as the Minister has said. I would like a debate to start on this whole area. The Provost of Trinity College has his own view, as we have said. There might be other reasons for these changes. If there are, we need to start hearing about them from the universities.
The Minister has said that one of his priorities, regardless of the system that is in place, will be to maximise the number of students who reach third level. Does he agree with the Provost of Trinity College, who spoke about the notion that those who can really afford to pay for third level education should have to do so once more? Surely that would be a positive move. Most of us accept that, as research has shown, private second level education has mushroomed since third level fees were abolished. It is obvious that parents are using the money they were going to use for their children's third level education to send them to private secondary schools. The Minister will accept that the more private schools, as opposed to State schools, we have at secondary level, the more social division is created in our society. Does he agree that the notion of reintroducing fees for those who can really pay them is a good one?
There is a big debate in this area. I belong to a political and ideological tradition that believes that all high earners should pay high levels of income tax at the upper level. That system catches everybody. The money can then be redistributed. That is one way of doing it. Participation in third level education has increased, in terms of overall numbers, since fees were abolished in 1996. The current student services charge is a fee, in effect. The minimum fee for undergraduate students is €2,000. The fee for postgraduate work like a master's degree is €5,000. Students are paying.
12 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the parity of support and funding will be provided to gaelscoileanna as is currently given to Eduate-Together schools and other mainsteam schools. [25111/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand this question refers to the professional development service for teachers. The policy pursued when teacher support services are funded by my Department is that services are provided through the medium of Irish to teachers in Irish-medium schools. These services do not differentiate between categories of schools, but they do respond to differentiated need. The professional development service provides bilingual versions of its documentation, materials and resources. When the service engages in face-to-face support with teachers and schools, documentation including presentations and handouts are provided through the language medium of the school. The service has a number of personnel with the necessary Irish language skills to support gaelscoileanna. Although the level of resources available has fallen in recent times in accordance with overall budgetary constraints, the service has recently recruited additional personnel, four of whom have the capacity to service gaelscoileanna. The professional development service for teachers does not provide funding to schools.
13 Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to ensure that a child (details supplied) will not lose their place in the local school due to the lack of special needs assistant posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18229/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, for allocating special needs assistants to schools. The NCSE has advised all mainstream schools of their special needs assistant allocations for the current school year, taking into account the care needs of qualifying pupils attending the school. It is expected that before they request any review of their allocations, schools will be in a position to demonstrate they have made every effort to manage their allocation of special needs assistant posts to best effect. I understand that in the individual case referred to by the Deputy, the NCSE is engaging with the school concerned regarding a possible special needs assistant allocation for the child in question. The NCSE will take into account the efforts already being made to manage the pupil's behaviour and the existing special needs assistant allocation that has been made to the school.
I thank the Minister for his helpful response to this question. The question of whether the Department of Education and Skills is able to maintain its current policy in this area is central in this context. Is it in a position to continue to provide special needs assistance to children with particular needs and abilities, including those with Down's syndrome? I want to refer briefly to an issue regarding special needs assistance that arose during an episode of "Prime Time" this week. I visit schools in my constituency of Dublin Mid-West on a regular basis as part of my work as a Deputy. I have been to a number of schools this week. I met a principal who informed me that he feels the structure of special needs services in this country is working very well. Notwithstanding the particular issues that arise from time to time, I want to tell the House that in my experience, the structure of the service is working very well. I know the Minister is sympathetic about those issues and is looking into them carefully. While emphasising that we have a very good special needs assistance service, I want to mention an issue that arose in the meeting I had earlier this week. I was told by a principal that the cut-off date for applications is causing problems. He said that some officials tend to focus on the numbers rather than the particular issues or circumstances of the children. Perhaps we can look at the cut-off dates as we go along.
I will look into that matter for the Deputy. Public representatives on all sides of the House are petitioned by constituents who have genuine concerns about their children and the allocation of teaching hours. There are just under 10,500 special needs assistants in this country — the number is limited by the reserve — and they service approximately 18,000 pupils. It is a matter for schools to allocate those resources. The allocation of hours can change. It is not the case that there is a special needs assistant for every child with special needs in a school. The needs of such children vary as they develop and mature and their conditions change. That is not always part and parcel of the full picture. I will take into account what the Deputy has said. He has given me the details of the school in question.
I thank the Minister.
14 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the recent QS World University rankings which show a drop in performance of most universities here, including Trinity College, University College Dublin and NUI Galway; and his further views that the drop in standards can be attributed to budget cuts across the third level sector. [25115/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraInternational league tables need to be interpreted with caution. Their focus on individual institutional performance does not reflect overall system quality. However, I recognise that they are referenced by international investors, employers and students as a marker of quality across systems. As such, they cannot be ignored. It is encouraging that four Irish institutions are in the top 300 QS ranked universities, out of some 15,000 universities worldwide. The reality of the economic situation poses challenges for the higher education sector. Future demand for participation growth needs to be reconciled with limitations on public resources and a need to protect and enhance core quality. The nature of these difficult trade-offs is described in the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, which also identifies the need for more detailed analysis. I have asked the Higher Education Authority to undertake further work on the sustainability of the existing funding framework. This work will inform consideration by the Government of policy options in future funding of the sector.
I think this matter was dealt with when we took Question No. 11.
It was, in effect. This question should have been taken with the other question about international league tables.
Is it still the case that two of our universities are ranked among the top 100 universities in the world? All of them are within the top 500, but, to my knowledge, at one stage two of them were within the top 100.
Speaking from memory, Trinity is still in the top 100. UCD has slipped just over. It is in 120th place or thereabouts. I would have to check the records.
15 Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for future cuts for resource teachers for Travellers posts; and his further plans to reinstate any in the incoming year. [25092/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe decision to withdraw all resource teacher for Travellers was taken by the previous Government in the last budget. The economic situation means that difficult decisions have had to be taken and implemented in order to make expenditure savings and to ensure that teacher numbers remain within the public service employment control framework.
Traveller pupils who are eligible for learning support teaching should receive this tuition through the existing learning support provision in schools. All schools should select students for learning support on the basis of priority of need.
Limited alleviation measures have been provided to assist schools which have high numbers or concentrations of Traveller pupils who were previously supported by resource teacher for Travellers, RTT, posts. The decision to withdraw the resource teachers for Travellers will not be revisited. There are, therefore, no plans to reinstate the RTT posts this year.
It is one of those areas on which I would like a further debate.
The Minister stated the decision was made previously. We all would accept that in the past there were difficulties in Traveller education but there was a section of the Traveller community, particularly involving women, that was moving forwards in leaps and bounds. One of my difficulties is that the Department had targeted two thirds of the cuts at teaching posts for Travellers. Fr. Derek Farrell stated it was staggering that the Department had targeted this area.
The difficulty with the removal of these teachers is what will replace them. The Minister can argue that the service will be mainstreamed, etc., but the Traveller community has special needs. Despite the fact that some of the groups that operate on their behalf would say that Travellers should be mainstreamed, Travellers need extra resources due to their lifestyle, the conditions in which they live and what happens within that community.
The Department has done away with these posts. What will replace teaching within the Traveller community? That is the debate that needs to take place and it will not happen in two or three minutes here. It is the big debate in this area. In my view, it is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. The Department has put them all out and that is it, as if it is now resolved. It is not resolved. In fact, rather than improving matters, it will disimprove them. Rather than the position getting better, it will get worse in those schools not only for the Traveller children, but also for the other children.
I accept what Deputy Crowe stated and the spirit in which he has articulated it. We need to have a discussion on this because at a time when there were plenty of resources, money going in that direction was not having the necessary outcomes, in other words, the retention of Travellers on the scale necessary going through the secondary school system. I encountered this in Galway in February or March last, where one of the secondary schools in the city had a very high concentration of Traveller children and the completion levels were very unsatisfactory even though there were resources.
We all must learn how to achieve more with less. Sometimes in the past simply adding extra resources was seen as solving the problem when, in fact, it did not solve the problem. I agree with Deputy Crowe. I would be happy to come back to this House when we have time for a more considered discussion on this issue. The Joint Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education might invite in some of those in this area to talk about what is happening out there.
Is there any evidence available that there has been progress, from the point of view of the children, where mainstreaming has occurred? Earlier in the summer the issue arose in regard to transport to specific schools for children from the Traveller community and the Department replied that efforts had been made to achieve more mainstreaming of the children in terms of attending their local secondary school instead of being transported to centres some distance away. Does the Minister agree that there is potential in mainstreaming that would benefit the children and ensure the retention rate is improved?
I do not have that information to hand. I will look into it and I will be in touch with Deputy Smith.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.
