Written Answers Nos. 62-70
62. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the future use of a former school building (details supplied) in County Cork; if he will clarify the current ownership arrangements stating the role of the Catholic diocese and his Department; his plans to sign over the building to the diocese; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43542/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a request from the Catholic Diocese to divest my interest in the property to which he refers. My officials have been in contact with the Patron's office in relation to this request and a response to the request will issue in due course.
63. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Education and Skills if persons in receipt of partial capacity benefit are entitled to register for courses on the springboard programme and if they are not, if he will consider changing this. [43558/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpringboard is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free part time higher education courses for unemployed people in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course a person must be unemployed, actively seeking employment, and be in receipt of one of the qualifying payments from the Department of Social Protection or be signing for credits or be previously self employed. Partial Capacity Benefit is not one of the qualifying payments for the Springboard programme. I understand from the Department of Social Protection that in order to be eligible to receive Partial Capacity Benefit a person must be in employment. The Springboard programme is specifically targeted at unemployed people and there are no plans to open the scheme to those in employment.
64. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria used by him to determine the categorisation of the proposed Mayo/Sligo/Leitrim Education Training Board as a category 2 ETB; if he has considered correspondence and data sent to him by Mayo Vocational Educational Committee; if he will respond to that correspondence and data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43575/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 19 June last, my Department published Circular 0024/2012 which detailed the categorisation of the new Education and Training Boards (ETBs), once established, for the purposes of the pay scales applicable to Chief Executive Officers of these Boards. The categorisation of each ETB, including the Board encompassing Counties Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim, is based on a proposal set out by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). It would not be appropriate for me to speculate on the criteria used by the LRC in formulating its proposal, or on how such criteria may have been applied in the case of the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB. However, I am also aware of a perception that suggests these categorisations are an attempt to 'downgrade' some ETBs.
I can confirm unequivocally that this categorisation relates only to determining the salary scale applicable to the Chief Executive Officer of each of the new ETBs. The categorisation laid out in the Circular has no role whatsoever in determining staffing numbers or structures in individual ETBs. I have given some consideration to the correspondence and data sent to me by the CEO of Co Mayo VEC and I will shortly be responding to the CEO on the matter.
65. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person who started teaching on an off-shore island this year is entitled to the Island Allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43577/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Island allowance, in common with the Gaeltacht and teaching through Irish allowances, is not payable to new beneficiaries as of 1 February 2012 on foot of the recent review of allowances across the public sector.
66. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the site under consideration for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare will be capable of accommodating an extended educations campus, should he decide, in accordance with policies, to pursue such a development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43601/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra97. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his active consideration of a site for a school (details supplied) in county Kildare includes contact having been made with the landowner and price negotiations being underway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43668/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 97 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that in light of the scale of the demand on the finite capital resources of my Department that my Department will be prioritising the acquisition of a site suitable for a permanent building for the post primary school to which he refers rather than an educational campus. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is working closely with the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site in this regard. Due to commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this time.
67. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action he is taking in relation to the spending by Waterford Institute of Technology as reported in the media (details supplied) on, Friday 28 September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43605/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issues that have emerged in relation to past spending by the Office of the President in Waterford Institute of Technology are of serious concern. It is incumbent on all public sector organisations to ensure that public funds are expended in an appropriate manner. An external review commissioned by Waterford Institute of Technology to ascertain the extent of spending by the Office of the President is nearing completion, and I understand that the Higher Education Authority hope to receive that report shortly. I have also asked my Department, in consultation with the Higher Education Authority, to consider what further steps may need to be taken and I await that advice.
68. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the fact that a school (details supplied) in County Kildare has now embarked on co-education, if capital funding will be made available to provide additional, essential toilet facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43606/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project at the school referred to by the Deputy was included in the 5 year construction programme announced in March and is scheduled to commence construction in 2015/2016. A design team has recently been appointed and the school authority has been instructed how to proceed to commence the project. My Department has been in contact with the school authority regarding the question of additional toilet facilities. The main project will deal with this issue in the medium to long term and the school has been informed that it may apply for small scale funding for an interim solution should that be necessary.
69. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current level and status of classroom accommodation at a school (details supplied), in County Cork; the projected enrolment for this school; his views on whether this projected enrolment will necessitate a further classroom teacher and the provision of additional temporary classroom accommodation; if he will indicate the cost being paid in respect of temporary classroom accommodation at the school and the way this might increase with increased enrolment; and if he satisfied that his Department's proposal in respect of the proposed capital works at this school for resource rooms as already sanctioned represents the best value for money in view of the level of envisaged enrolment and prefabricated classroom accommodation required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43608/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe three teacher school to which the Deputy refers is not situated in an area of high demographic growth. Enrolments at schools in the area are expected to remain at current levels or show some decline. The Department is not currently funding any temporary rental costs for this school.
In March last my Department approved grant aid for the provision of two resource rooms. A condition of the grant is that the school draw down 70% of funding by the end of September. No funding has been drawn down to date. The school appealed the level of this devolved grant and have submitted a proposal for a major extension to the school building. This is currently being considered and a response will issue to the school in due course.
70. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way he can justify the cutback in guidance and counselling services to students in a college (details supplied) in County Dublin in the context of the economic downturn and the severe pressures that are on young people to-day. [43614/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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 schools in DEIS, including the school referred to by the Deputy, 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.
