Brian Stanley
Ceist:96. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Finance if his Department works with local authorities in the delivery of services; and if so, the details of same. [42562/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraPublic Services Provision
Ceisteanna (96, 97)
Brian Stanley
Ceist:97. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Finance if his Department engage with local authorities in the provision of services and if so the details of same. [42583/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 97 together.
In response to the Deputy’s question my Department does not work with or engage with local authorities in the delivery or provision of services.
Access to Higher Education
Ceisteanna (98)
Brendan Smith
Ceist:98. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the funds invested in the DARE third level scheme; if there are Departmental funds involved; if so, the amount of same; if he has an analysis of the number of DARE student places allocated by each third level college/university to each of the faculties; if he will outline the breakdown in relation to agricultural science degree or its equivalent since the commencement of the scheme; the qualifying criteria for same; if he will list the third level colleges/universities that are operating the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42432/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The collaborative schemes HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) and DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) have been developed by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) with the overall aim of widening access and participation in higher education for school-leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds or with a disability.
Over the years 2006-2011 the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has allocated €1.1m through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to support the development of these schemes by the IUA and participating institutions. Both schemes have now been mainstreamed and are being sustained through the overall core grant allocation of each participating institution.
In 2012 thirteen institutions participated in the DARE scheme for school-leavers with disabilities. These are NUI Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin, NUI Galway, University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology, Mater Dei Institute, National College of Ireland, Pontifical University Maynooth, Athlone Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology.
Each college or university taking part in the DARE scheme has allocated a limited number of places on a reduced points basis for students entering through DARE. This number or quota is different for each college and university. Details of the quotas on the website of each college and university that takes part in the scheme (see www.accesscollege.ie) and are summarised in the following tables.
Information on the number of places being offered through the DARE scheme by each institution and faculty is not immediately available, but is being sought from participating institutions and will be forwarded to the Deputy. The overall number of applications, offers and acceptances through the DARE scheme for the academic year 2011 are detailed in the following tables. The number of applications has risen in 2012-13 and data on the final numbers of offers and acceptances for the academic year just starting will be available shortly.
|
Application data |
DARE |
DARE |
|
Years |
2011 |
2012 |
|
Applications |
2551 |
2,941 |
|
Eligible Applications |
1279 |
1,482 |
|
Offers |
473 |
- |
|
Acceptances |
419 |
- |
Quotas 1st Year of Undergraduates places DARE 2012
|
AIT |
CIT |
DCU |
DIT |
Mater Dei Institute |
NCI |
NUIG |
|
Places are available on all Programmes for successful candidates. There is no set quota. |
2% |
5% of places on all courses |
5% of places on all courses |
Up to 10% on each undergraduate programme |
No restriction on the number of students who can come through DARE. No set quotas |
20% quota in all courses; divided across 3 access target groups (i.e. HEAR, DARE & Mature Students) |
|
NUIM |
TCD |
UCC |
UCD |
UL |
Pontifical University Maynooth |
|
4% |
22% (with a baseline of 18%) quota in all courses; divided across 3 access target groups (i.e. HEAR, DARE & Mature Students) |
Minimum 5% of 1st year intake 3 % on reduced points quota in all undergraduate programmes |
Minimum of 15% in all courses; divided across 3 access target groups (i.e. HEAR, DARE & Mature Students) |
5% of places on all courses |
4% |
School Services Staff
Ceisteanna (99)
Tom Fleming
Ceist:99. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will immediately address the detrimental effect the cutting of guidance counselling in schools across County Kerry will have on our young people as they struggle to cope with the myriad of personal and family problems that permeate all sectors of modern communities; his views on whether it will take a tragedy before he sees the damage that has been done to the education system by reducing or eradicating the access that students have had to the support of a professionally trained guidance counsellor when they need it in secondary school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42463/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I acknowledge that the reduction in resources to second level schools will be challenging for schools. However, the budget measure that requires schools to manage the provision of guidance from within their standard staffing allocation must be seen in the context of the major challenges we have as a Government in trying to shelter public services to the greatest extent that we can in these exceptional times. The net impact on overall teacher numbers in our schools has been minimised to the greatest extent possible. Teacher allocations to post primary schools for the 2012/13 school year have effectively been settled at this stage and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. Decisions on how this is done are taken at school level and I am confident that schools will act in the best interest of students when determining precisely how to use the teaching resources available to them.
A key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target available funding at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. All 195 second-level school in DEIS have been given targeted support by a more favourable staffing schedule of 18.25:1. This is a 0.75 point reduction compared to the existing PTR of 19:1 that applies in non fee-paying second-level schools. My Department also provided some limited short-term support to schools through curricular concessions in order to help them manage within their approved teaching allocation.
It is established policy that guidance is a whole school activity and under existing arrangements each school develops a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students. While the school's guidance planning should involve the guidance counsellor(s) in the first instance, other members of school staff and management also have key roles to play. Parents and students must be seen as an essential part of the process.
Through this process schools can, for example, consider the following options for maximising the use of their available resources for the provision of guidance: Optimise the delivery of personal educational, career and vocational guidance in class group settings; Enable students to use directly the extensive range of guidance tools available through the internet from relevant websites (e.g. Qualifax, Careers Portal); Enable some of the curriculum elements of the planned guidance programme to be delivered through other teachers such as SPHE staff; Maximise the role of the pastoral care team in schools, and; Ensure that the guidance counsellor has 1:1 time towards meeting the counselling needs of students experiencing difficulties or crisis.
The support of the whole school community, parents and the relevant external agencies such as NEWB and NEPS are key to the provision of guidance and support to schools.
Psychologists from my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) also provide a range of supports to schools. These include the promotion of positive mental health among the general student body and assistance in supporting pupils with particular social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
My Department is also aiming to launch the Guidelines on Mental Health for Post-Primary Schools later this year. These guidelines aim to support schools in developing a whole-school approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention and are of relevance to all members of the school community. In particular, they have been developed to support principals, guidance counsellors, student support teams, and teachers.
Student Grant Scheme Applications
Ceisteanna (100)
Robert Troy
Ceist:100. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which third level grants will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42479/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The process of assessing and paying third level or further education grants is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority, i.e. local authority, VEC or SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) as appropriate.
The timing of processing and payment of grants varies between the awarding authorities depending on a number of variables, including the volume of applications received, staffing resources and whether or not properly completed application forms have been submitted. Work prioritisation across different functions and the way in which available staff are deployed to execute those functions are matters for the management of each awarding authority concerned.
Students and parents should ensure that all necessary supporting documentation is provided at the earliest date to assist the awarding bodies to make prompt decisions on entitlement.