Tuesday, 18 Sep 2012

Written Answers Nos. 434-451

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Ceisteanna (434)

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

434. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if schools are obliged to implement an individual education plan for children with special needs who are progressing through the mainstream system; the avenue available to a parent who is not satisfied that a special needs child is receiving the proper facilities to allow him or her to progress through the mainstream school system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38451/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Departments Learning Support Guidelines, which are available at www.education.ie, recommend that an individual profile and learning programme should be devised for all children who are receiving supplementary teaching from a learning-support teacher. Schools are encouraged to use individual education plans through policy guidance, support, and training.

The National Council for Special Education is responsible through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resources to schools, including resource teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support, in order to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of such supports and the staffing resources available to my Department. All schools have the names and contact details of their local NCSE Special Educational Needs Organiser. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

Parents who wish to be advised of the educational supports which can be provided for their child in school should contact their local SENO. Should a parent be dissatisfied with the manner in which the resources or facilities which have been provided to support their child's education are being applied in school, or with regard to their child's educational progress in school, they should raise this matter directly with their school Principal or the Board of Management of the school.

Teaching Contracts

Ceisteanna (435)

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

435. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired teachers who are to be redeployed from September 2012 onwards, on a temporary capacity, to cover teachers on maternity or sick leave. [38463/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The details of the redeployment arrangements are published on my Department's website. The fundamental purpose of redeployment is to ensure surplus permanent teachers are redeployed into vacancies in other schools. My Department does not provide for the redeployment of retired teachers.

Following the completion of the redeployment process, all remaining short term vacancies are filled in accordance with procedures outlined in Circular 31/2011 which provides for a staged approach for recruitment of teachers depending on a teacher's qualifications and registration status with the Teaching Council. These procedures require schools at primary and post-primary level to maintain a list of appropriately qualified registered teachers who notify the school that they are available for substitute teaching at short notice. Where a substitute teacher is needed at short notice and advertising for the position is not feasible, the school must contact a person on the list established by the school or use a national service such as SubSearch or TextaSub.

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures published under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998. This process is still on-going for the current school year and the number of retired teachers employed to cover substitute vacancies for the 2012/13 school year is not yet available.

Departmental Staff Training

Ceisteanna (436)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

436. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of money spent on an annual basis on education and training of staff in 2011 and to date in 2012; the number of staff that availed of each course; if he will provide a list of the courses staff undertook and the cost of each course per person. [38483/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The staff training and development budget at my Department covers the cost of training and development for officials in the administrative, professional, technical and service grades. Spending is targeted at the priority business needs of sections and divisions in order that the staffing resource at my Department continues to develop their skills in key areas which include: financial management; information and communications technology; project management; legal matters; management development and evaluation.

Officials are encouraged to pursue relevant third level and further education programmes in their own time to broaden their skills and qualifications in order to assist the Department in meeting current and future challenges. Officials are currently undertaking course in areas that include Public Management, Education, Economic Policy, Legislative Drafting and Human Resource Management. In 2011 the Department spent €496,607 on training and development and the corresponding figure to date in 2012 is €233,560. The following tabular statement give details of the type of courses pursued, the cost and the number of participants.

Category	2011 Cost	Participants	Average Cost P/P	2012 Cost to date	Participants	Average Cost P/P
Civil Service Training & Development Centre	4,166.77	5	833.35	2,760.00	3	920.00
Financial Training	4,749.50	127	37.40	12,122.74	53	228.73
Health & Safety Training	8,516.25	161	52.89	4,530.00	79	57.34
Inspectorate CPD	29,634.86	164	180.70	22,069.75	130	169.77
National Educational and Psychological Service (NEPS) CPD	53,344.00	442	120.69	32,947.00	575	57.30
Irish Language	13,453.10	64	210.20	400.00	2	200.00
IT End User Training courses	19,216.47	140	137.26	3,591.00	63	57.00
IT Unit Technical Courses	57,048.78	80	713.11	50,444.40	56	900.82
Legal Training	1,010.00	8	126.25	6,040.00	11	549.10
Management Development / Leadership training	38,140.80	158	241.40	1,995.00	1	1,995.00
Writing Skills	600.00	1	600.00	3,950.00	67	58.95
Conferences and Seminars	12,189.94	83	146.87	3,458.46	18	192.14
Academic Fees	235,376.35	82	2,912.02	81,202.64	23	3,416.65
Other Training Events( Customer Service, E.U. Related, Data Protection	19,160.75	42	456.20	8,050.00	42	196.34
Total Training spend 2011	496,607.57			233,560.99

Teaching Contracts

Ceisteanna (437)

Tom Fleming

Ceist:

437. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will intervene to address the dilemma that exists at a school (details supplied) in County Kerry and ensure that this school continues to provide education for the children of the parish for many years to come. [38500/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Deputy will be aware that under the Education Act 1998, legally, all schools are managed by school Boards of Management, on behalf of the school patrons or trustees, and it is the Board of Management that employs the teachers at the school. Accordingly, whereas I provide funding and policy direction for schools, neither I nor the Department have legal powers to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regards to individual complaint cases, or to investigate individual complaints except where the complaint involves a refused enrolment, expulsion or suspension, in accordance with Section 29 of the 1998 Education Act. In general, the Board has the responsibility to ensure that the school operates efficiently and effectively, to take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of pupils in its care and, as employer, the Board also has responsibilities in relation to the action of its employees. Matters relating to the management of schools are dealt with at local level.

In dealing with parental complaints, my Department's role is to clarify for parents how their grievances and complaints against schools can be progressed. If a parent wishes to make a complaint against a teacher or school they should contact the relevant school authorities. The complaint procedures adopted by most schools are those that have been agreed between the teacher unions and school management bodies. Where a parent feels that the school's board of management has failed to investigate or adequately investigate their complaint, they should contact the Ombudsman for Children.

The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints about schools recognised with the Department of Education and Skills, provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the action of the school has had a negative affect on a child. The office can be contacted at Ombudsman for Children's Office, Millennium House, 52-56 Great Strand Street, Dublin 1, (Ph) 1800 20 20 40 or [phone], E-mail [e-mail].

School Transport Provision

Ceisteanna (438)

Nicky McFadden

Ceist:

438. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills if changes can be made to the school transport scheme to allow children who hold a medical card, but who are not attending their nearest school, or do not meet the distance criteria, to avail of free transport on a concessionary basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38552/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme, eligible children who hold valid Medical Cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying school transport charges. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a concessionary basis only subject to a number of conditions which are detailed in the scheme. These children are not exempt from paying the annual charge. Given the serious fiscal conditions, I have no plans at this stage to change the current arrangements.

Teachers' Remuneration

Ceisteanna (439)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

439. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the rate of pay and pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38553/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The person to whom the Deputy refers is employed as a teacher with effect from 1 September 2012. There is no record of the person to whom the Deputy refers being paid on my Departments payroll prior to 1 January 2011. Accordingly, the terms of Circular 0040/2011 apply. Circular 0040/2011, published in June 2011 and available on my Department's website, outlines the application by the Government in Budget 2011 of a 10% reduction in the pay of new entrants to the public service. All new appointees to the entry grades of the public service must start at the first point of the relevant pay scale with effect from 1 January 2011.

The Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 became law on 28 July 2012. The Act provides for a Single Public Service Pension Scheme for new public servants. It also makes certain other changes affecting existing public service pension arrangements. Certain provisions of the Act, including the Single Public Service Pension Scheme itself, will not take effect until the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform signs a relevant commencement order, whereas other provisions take effect immediately on enactment, i.e. with effect from 28 July 2012. Part 1, Section 1(2) of the Act may be referred to for full information as to which provisions are immediately effective and which require a commencement order. Sections 9 and 10 of the act address the categories of public servant who will be encompassed by the new Single Public Service Pension Scheme once the relevant commencement order is signed.

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Ceisteanna (440)

John Lyons

Ceist:

440. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the provision of secondary education in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin 11. [38582/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. The enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) can assist parents to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. Parents may contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs and to seek assistance in identifying placement options, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) can also assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB will try to help parents to find a school placement if their child has been unable to secure a school placement to date. The NEWB can be contacted at National Educational Welfare Board, National Headquarters, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01-8738700. My officials understand from the NEWB that there is a school placement available for the pupil in question.

The Deputy maybe aware that section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of a Vocational Educational Committee (VEC), to the VEC in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more school days in any school year. My Department has no authority to compel a school to admit a pupil, except in the case of an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 being upheld.

Schools Building Projects Status

Ceisteanna (441)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

441. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to open a school (details supplied) in County Kildare in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38585/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Education and Skills recently terminated the contractor's obligation to complete the works at St Anne's National School in Ardclough, Co Kildare. The Department is liaising with the school authorities and has instructed the Design Team to commence work on procuring a completion contractor to complete the works. Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that the project will be completed in the coming months.

School Transport Provision

Ceisteanna (442)

Pat Breen

Ceist:

442. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) has not been facilitated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38598/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Bus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department has advised that a ticket has been issued to the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied.

School Transport Provision

Ceisteanna (443)

Pat Breen

Ceist:

443. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) has not been facilitated with school transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38599/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

My Department has requested Bus Éireann to submit a report. When this report is received my Department will be in contact with the family.

Teacher Redeployment

Ceisteanna (444)

Emmet Stagg

Ceist:

444. Deputy Emmet Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is permissible that the panel system for the redeployment of national teachers may be used to circumvent the threatened dismissal of a teacher thereby enabling such teacher to evade sacking by relocation to another school. [38624/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The core function of the redeployment panels at primary level is to enable the redeployment of teachers who are surplus in one school to another school that has a vacancy. Under the panel arrangements, the most junior eligible permanent teacher in a school with surplus teaching staff is placed on the panel for redeployment to another school.

Responsibility for running schools on a day-to-day basis is devolved from the patron to the board of management and this was statutorily underpinned by Section 14 of the Education Act 1998. Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 provides that the appointment, suspension and dismissal of teachers are the responsibility of boards of management. Under Circulars 59/2009 (VEC schools) and 60/2009 (all other schools) procedures were agreed relating to both professional competence issues and procedures relating to work, conduct and matters other than professional competence. This agreement was made under the terms of Towards 2016 and the procedures were issued in September 2009. The procedures serve a dual purpose in that they provide a framework which enables schools to maintain satisfactory standards, and for teachers and principals to have access to procedures whereby alleged failures to comply with these standards may be fairly and sensitively addressed.

Matters of professional competence are dealt with through a process which allows for informal counselling and the use of internal and external supports such as the Employee Assistance Service and relevant educational support services. Only when the informal procedures are unsuccessful in addressing professional competence issues are the formal stages invoked which may at the end of the process have recourse to disciplinary action (up to and including dismissal). Matters of conduct follow a similarly staged procedure. However, in the cases of serious misconduct at work or a threat to health and safety to children or other personnel in the school the stages outlined above do not normally apply and a teacher may be dismissed without recourse to the previous stages. A teacher may also be placed on administrative leave on full pay pending an investigation and the conclusion of any appeal process.

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Ceisteanna (445)

Pat Breen

Ceist:

445. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for assitive technology in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38674/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating Resource Teachers and Special Needs Assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology support is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in recommending such support. I can confirm that an application for assistive technology support for the child referred to by the Deputy has been received in my Department. The child's school have been asked to provide some outstanding information in relation to this application and a decision will then issue to the school upon receipt of this outstanding information.

Schools Building Projects Applications

Ceisteanna (446)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

446. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason additional funding that was previously sanctioned to a school ( details supplied) in County Kerry has not been paid following works that have been completed as per the original application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38681/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The school referred to by the Deputy was allocated funding on a devolved basis in 2004 for the provision of an Autistic Unit. A devolved project allows individual school authorities the means to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives them day to day control of their building project. It is a central tenet of the devolved schemes that responsibility for the management of a project, including cost control, rests with the school authority. All of the funding approved by my Department for this project have been paid to the school authority.

Schools Building Projects Status

Ceisteanna (447)

Pat Breen

Ceist:

447. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a project in a school (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38701/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department has asked the school, referred to by the Deputy, for further information relating to its application for significant additional funding for the provision of an ASD unit. When this information is received, the application will be assessed and a decision in the matter will be conveyed to the school authority.

Teachers' Remuneration

Ceisteanna (448)

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

448. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the intention to remove all public sector allowances from newly qualified teachers and the way he can justify the inequity of two colleagues performing the same duties with a possible differential of €4,426.00 per annum in their salary whilst being employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38703/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Government announced as part of Budget 2012 that, pending completion of the public service-wide review of allowances, changes to teacher qualification allowances were being made with immediate effect. These changes affect new allowances payable to both existing teachers and to new appointees in the future. Under Budget 2012 teachers appointed before 5 December 2011 are not paid an allowance where they acquire further qualifications after that date. Allowances for teachers first appointed between 5 December 2011 and 31 January 2012 are payable up to a maximum of €4,226 which was the rate applicable to Honours Primary Degree allowance. The position of teachers who, on 5 December 2011, were undertaking courses will be considered in the context of the review.

Pending the outcome of the review of allowances and premium payments by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, allowances are not payable to new beneficiaries from 1 February 2012. The only exceptions to this prohibition are principal and deputy principal allowances and, subject to certain restrictions, the assistant principal allowance. These decisions were taken due to the upward pressure on the cost of teacher allowances. These provisions are outlined in Circular 70/2011 and Circular 3/2012. The Department is not in a position to comment further on the position in relation to teacher allowances until the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances is known.

Teaching Council of Ireland

Ceisteanna (449)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

449. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of post-primary teachers currently registered with the Teaching Council that presented a degree qualification satisfying the subject requirement for mathematics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38737/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for registering teachers. The Council's 2009 Registration Regulations set out the criteria for registration. I am advised by the Teaching Council that currently there are just under 4,340 teachers registered on the basis of qualifications in mathematics.

State Examinations

Ceisteanna (450)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

450. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details for the past five years of the total number of schools each year that did not enter any students for the higher level leaving certificate maths exam; the names and addresses of the schools and the school's DEIS status if any. [38738/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

There are some 723 post primary schools. A total of 691 schools had candidates entered for Higher Level Mathematics in 2012. There were 696 in 2011, 711 in 2010, 697 in 2009 and 699 in 2008. Note that in some cases while a school may be willing and able to offer Higher Level Mathematics, there are no students who wish to take the course or the examination at Higher Level.

While the State Examinations Commission holds details of the centres in which candidates sat examinations, it would not be appropriate to disclose this information. Disclosure of a detailed breakdown of these schools, including their DEIS status, could lead to the compilation of league tables. Section 53 of the Education Act, 1998 allows for the refusal of access to data which could enable league tables on the comparative performance of students or schools to be determined. I am opposed to the publication of such tables as they provide an unbalanced and very limited indication of a school's performance.

State Examinations

Ceisteanna (451)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

451. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of the mathematics results for this State from the most recent PISA test, showing the percentage of correct answers and questions skipped for the following categories (details supplied). [38739/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The full information which the Deputy has requested is not available. However, chapter 9 of "PISA 2009: Results for Ireland and Changes Since 2000" which was published by the Education Research Centre in June 2012 outlines student performance on the various item types. This is available at:http://www.erc.ie/documents/pisa2009main_nationalreport.pdf. In addition, the Education Research Centre has analysed performance in PISA 2003 and 2009, and compared the percent correct, incorrect, missing and not reached on all items, and multiple choice, short response, and longer written response items for a set of mathematics items that was administered in both cycles. This information on the performance of Irish students is available at the link: http://www.erc.ie/documents/engagement_and_performance_over_time.pdf.