Written Answers Nos. 223 - 241
223. Deputy Ann Phelan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the exact amount of research and development that institutions in the south east have attracted in comparison to the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40772/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe table outlines the amount of research and development income received by Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology, Carlow and the amount of such income received by the universities and the other institutes of technology. The data relates to the 2010/11 academic year, the latest year of audited accounts for the sector.
Research Income of Higher Education Institutions
|
Academic Year 2010/11 |
€'000 |
|
Institute of Technology, Carlow |
€1,276 |
|
Waterford Institute of Technology |
€21,092 |
|
University College Dublin |
€76,979 |
|
University College Cork |
€76,337 |
|
NUI Galway |
€61,464 |
|
NUI, Maynooth |
€20,413 |
|
Trinity College Dublin |
€78,486 |
|
University of Limerick |
€22,190 |
|
Dublin Cith University |
€41,690 |
|
Athlone Institute of Technology |
€3,527 |
|
Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown |
€566 |
|
Cork Institute of Technology |
€13,957 |
|
Dublin Institute of Technology |
€15,185 |
|
Dundalk Institute of Technology |
€5,788 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology |
€1,087 |
|
Galway Mayo Institute of Technology |
€2,506 |
|
Letterkenny Institute of Technology |
€1,159 |
|
Limerick Institute of Technology |
€3,387 |
|
Institute of Technology, Sligo |
€2,180 |
|
Institute of Technology, Tallaght |
€1,980 |
|
Institute of Technology, Tralee |
€1,871 |
224. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if secondary school teachers who are not members of a trade union are subject to the terms of the Haddington Road agreement or to the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act ; and if he will clarify the position in relation to cases of this nature. [41041/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraDepartment Circulars on the application of the Haddington Road Agreement and the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 to post-primary teachers will issue in the near future. Application of the Agreement/Act to teachers who are not members of a trade union will be clarified in those Circulars.
225. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when an application for home tuition will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40413/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to advise the Deputy that home tuition has been approved for the child in question. Her parents have been notified accordingly in a letter dated 5th September 2013.
226. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding his Department has allocated or committed to paying off the debts of a college (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, including outstanding loans, the move from a 21:1 to 23:1 teacher ratio and the college's switch from a private to public school; if he will outline any other expenditure incurred by his Department as result of this switch between 2012 and into the 2013-14 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40449/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe authorities of the College concerned decided that the future of the College would be better secured if it were to enter the Free Education Scheme. The College is a significant provider of second level places that serve the needs of minority religion communities not just in Kilkenny but in other counties in the region. It is Government policy to provide for a diversity of patronage types within the school system. In that context the Government recognises the importance of securing the future of schools whose ethos is that of a minority religion. To that end my Department engaged with the authorities of the College concerned on their wish to enter the Free Scheme. The funding changes for the College on entry to the Free Scheme concern provision for capital investment, the provision of teaching posts and the provision of capitation funding. Teachers are being provided for the 2013/14 school year on the basis of 19:1 which applies to all schools in the Free Scheme. Teaching posts are also allocated for special needs. In addition, the Department provides for curricular issues that arise in schools. In the case of the College concerned the allocation for curricular concessions takes account of the fact that for a period the College has liabilities to those who were attending the College while it was fee charging in relation to the subjects they are preparing to take in the State Examinations. The projected teacher salary costs for the 2013/14 school year is estimated at €3.6m. Schools in the Free Scheme receive capitation funding. The precise capitation to be paid to the college in the period referred to by the Deputy will be a function of the confirmed enrolment in the College and any decisions the Government may take in the upcoming budget. An indicative estimate is €710,000. The Department had provided partial capital grant funding of €750,000 to the College prior to it entering the Free Scheme. The Department reviewed its funding for the building work concerned on the basis that the College would in future be categorised as a Free Scheme school and therefore would be eligible for consideration for capital funding on that basis. The total funding envelope provided by the Department for the building works has been increased to €3.629 million (inclusive of the initial grant). The College will utilise this grant funding to meet liabilities it had incurred in relation to the building works that would otherwise be met from fee income had the school not entered the Free Scheme.
227. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reconsider the regulation surrounding school transport and make exceptions for families that have no other means of transportation (details supplied). [40452/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that children are eligible for post primary school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme, has advised that children who are eligible for school transport and who reside in the area in question may avail of a service within the guidelines of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of terms and conditions which are detailed in the scheme. While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the school of their choice, eligibility for school transport at post primary level is to the nearest education centre/school.
228. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the secondary schools in County Louth that currently have guidance counsellors in place and the way this compares with the situation before he introduced changes which no longer provide school guidance counsellors on an ex-quota basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40473/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra262. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills he number of guidance counsellors working in our schools. [40764/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 262 together.
Guidance is a whole school activity and it does not just involve the guidance counsellor. Under existing arrangements each school develops a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students. Since September 2012 guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. In this way principals have discretion to balance guidance needs with the pressures to provide subject choice. A framework document was published jointly by the Post Primary Management bodies and the NAPD (National Association of Principals & Deputies) in September, 2012 to provide guidance for school management in the allocation of teaching hours to guidance counselling in post-primary schools in the context of the decision in Budget 2012 to withdraw the provision of ex-quota guidance hours to schools. This should be of assistance to schools in terms of how they maximise guidance provision. My Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations. 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 (23:1 in fee-charging schools).
229. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will allocate resource hours to all children with Down's syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40475/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that pupils with Down Syndrome attending mainstream schools may receive additional teaching support in primary schools, either under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, if the pupil's educational psychological assessment places the pupil in the mild general learning disability/high incidence disability category, or through an allocation of individual additional resource teaching hours which are allocated by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), if the child is assessed as being within the low incidence category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05. Pupils with Down Syndrome may therefore be allocated resources under the category of mild general learning disability, or under the categories of moderate general learning difficulty or Assessed Syndrome, in conjunction with another Low Incidence disability. Regardless of the manner in which the resource hours are allocated to schools, resource teaching/learning support is available for pupils with Down syndrome. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a formal role under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 in advising me in relation to any matter relating to the education of children and others with disabilities. My Department requested that the NCSE consider the issue of whether Down Syndrome should be reclassified as a low incidence disability in all instances, regardless of assessed cognitive ability, in the context of its preparation of comprehensive advice on how the educational system supports children with special educational needs in schools. The NCSE report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools has now been published and is available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie. The report recommends that under the new resource allocation model proposed by the NCSE in its report, children should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need, rather than by disability category. The NCSE has recommended that in the short-term, pupils with Down Syndrome who are in the Mild General Learning Disability (Mild GLD) category should continue to be supported by schools' Learning Support allocation in the same way as other pupils with a Mild GLD. The NCSE policy advice did not recommend that an exception should be made for children with Down Syndrome who are in the Mild GLD range, over other children who are in the mild range and who also may have other co-morbid conditions. However, the NCSE report states that it is confident that the introduction of a new allocation model will overcome the difficulty posed by all children with mild general learning disabilities, including children with Down Syndrome, who have additional difficulties and who can be supported according to their level of need and in line with their learning plan process. In the meantime, schools are reminded that they can differentiate the level of learning support granted to ensure that available resources are used to support children in line with their needs. I have requested the NCSE to immediately proceed to establish a Working Group in order to develop a proposal for consideration for a new Tailored Allocation Model, which is set out as one of the principal recommendations of the report.
230. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite and award a student grant appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40476/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn appeal from the student referred to by the Deputy was received by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board and the Appeals Board have requested SUSI to review the application. SUSI will issue notification directly to the student once the review is complete.
231. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the Irish authorities informed the Commission that the school transport scheme was operated under contract by Bus Éireann for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40535/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra232. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter in relation to an issue regarding a tendering process (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40536/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 232 together.
Matters raised by the Deputy in his questions relate to the arrangements between my Department and Bus Éireann which have been the subject of a recent Commercial High Court case taken by Student Transport Scheme Ltd against the Minister for Education and Skills. This case spanned a period of six days and the judgement delivered on 23rd October 2012 found in favour of the Minister. As I advised the Deputy on 18th September, this detailed judgement is available on the Courts Service website. This judgement is currently the subject of a potential appeal by Student Transport Scheme Ltd to the Supreme Court. I am sure that the Deputy will accept that matters that may be raised in the context of such a appeal should properly be addressed in that forum.
233. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements put in place by his Department to ensure compliance with the Official Languages Act, specifically requirements for signage in departmental offices, schools, third level institutions; details of any assessments undertaken by Departmental staff to assess requirements; the number of signs assessed; when any corrective actions were put in place; if any or all of the actions taken by his Department were within the designated timeframes set out in legislation, and if not the reasoning for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40544/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment Departments are required to comply with the Regulations made by the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht under section 9(1) of the Official Languages Act 2003. Under the Regulations, Departments have a duty to ensure that certain signage is provided in Irish only, or in English and Irish, in accordance with specific criteria set out in the Regulations. The Regulations provide for the requirements in relation to the different categories of signage specified to come into effect over a period of time. In this regard all new signs placed on any of my Department's sites since 1 March 2009 are in compliance with the Regulations.
During 2012/13 an audit of all signage took place in my Department's offices in Dublin, Athlone and Tullamore to ensure compliance with the Regulations. As part of this audit, a total of 405 signs were examined on the Department's three sites. A small number of signs were identified as coming under a category of signage for which the requirements under the Regulations will come into effect from 1st January 2026. These will be amended in due course to comply with that deadline. My Department's offices in Dublin and Tullamore were subject to compliance inspections by Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga during September 2013. A report of these compliance inspections will be provided to officials in due course.
Schools do not come under the provisions of the Official Languages Act 2003 or the Regulations, except in the case where a school forms an integral part of an Education and Training Board (formerly a VEC). Third level institutions are considered to be public bodies for the purposes of the Act. Under subsections 21(a) and 21(b) of the Official Languages Act 2003, it is a function of An Coimisinéir Teanga to monitor and ensure compliance by named public bodies with the provisions of the Act.
234. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in RAPID designated areas; the number of these schools that are classified as DEIS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40587/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra247. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that are currently designated as being a primary urban band 1 DEIS school and the number of pupils in this category. [40749/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra248. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that are currently designated a primary urban band 2 DEIS school and the number of pupils in this category. [40750/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra249. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that are currently designated a primary rural DEIS school and the number of pupils in this category. [40751/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra250. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that are currently designated a post-primary DEIS school and the number of pupils in this category. [40752/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 247 to 250, inclusive, together.
Following amalgamations and/or closures of schools in 2013, there are currently 852 schools included in DEIS providing education for 166,908 children. The breakdown is as follows: 195 DEIS Band 1 and 141 DEIS Band 2 Primary Schools with total enrolment of 77,309;
322 DEIS Rural schools with enrolment of 23,690;
194 DEIS Post-Primary schools with enrolment of 65,909. The available information on the number of schools in RAPID designated areas indicates that there are: 573 Primary Schools of which 173 are DEIS schools;162 Post Primary Schools of which 59 are DEIS schools. RAPID designation was not amongst the criteria for the identification of schools for inclusion in the DEIS programme.
235. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of the Acts or specific provisions of Acts under his Department that have not yet been commenced; if it is intended to commence the provision in each case; if so, when; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40597/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation relevant to the Deputy's question is currently being compiled. A further reply will issue to the Deputy as soon as possible.
236. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the correction procedure for State examinations; the review process within the initial marking procedures; the number of appeals of a final grade that have been lodged in each of the past five years broken down into the percentage of each of these that received a higher grade and those that received a lower grade on appeal; the steps that have been taken to reduce the number of appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40613/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
237. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has evaluated the rates at which the third level student maintenance grant is awarded in view of the rise in numbers receiving assistance and that the cost of living per student has increased significantly over the same period; his views on whether this trend is a deterrent to those who want to undertake third level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40621/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere was no change in Budget 2013 to any of the student grant rates including the non-adjacent or adjacent rates of grant or the higher special rate of grant for the 2013 financial year. The aim of the student maintenance grant scheme has always been to make a contribution to the cost of going to college; covering the full cost has never been a feasible option. The Student Contribution, which currently stands at €2,500, is payable by students who qualify under the free fees schemes. Students who qualify under my Department's student grant scheme have the contribution paid on their behalf by the Exchequer As the Deputy will be aware, the reality of our economic situation presents significant challenges that have to be reconciled with limitations on public resources. This is a very stark reality, which, unfortunately, means that changes to any public service, including the student grant scheme, cannot be ruled out. I empathise with students and I am very conscious of the fundamental role played by the student grant scheme in supporting families who are putting their children through further and higher education. However, the state of the public finances is such that tough decisions had to be made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. For this reason it is the responsibility of Government to take into consideration all areas of public services when formulating Budget 2014. Ultimately, our budgetary decisions now will play a major part in creating a sustainable economy and in regaining our economic independence. As the Deputy will be aware all proposals made in relation to education expenditure including changes to student grants will be considered in the context of the Budget 2014.
238. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40622/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department officials met with the ETB in August last in relation to a capital project for the school concerned. The next step is to determine the suitability of the greenfield site, identified by the ETB, for development and this process is on-going. Tralee has not been identified as an area of significant demographic growth. In that context, a project for the school has not been included in the current 5 year plan. My Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. To ensure that this is achieved, the delivery of major school projects to meet significant demographic demands nationally will be the main focus for capital investment in schools in the coming years. The 5 Year Construction Plan that I announced in March 2012 is focused on meeting this demand. Given the need to meet this demographic growth within the limited funding available, it is not possible to indicate at this point when a building project for the school will be progressed. However, should the greenfield site prove suitable for development, the site acquisition could progress in the context of available funding.
239. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown by socio-economic background of all those pursuing both full-time and part-time higher education who entered immediately after completing their leaving certificate; the way these figures compare historically; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40624/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Higher Education Authority's annual publication "Higher Education Key Facts and Figures" provides an overview of data from the Irish education system highlighting key trends for the year including Socio Economic, Ethnic/Cultural and Disability data. The report covering the academic year 2011/12 was published in April 2013. Section 7 of the report contains information on the socio - economic background of school leaver entrants.The report can be accessed at http://www.hea.ie/sites/default/files/keyfactsfigures1112_0.pdf. For comparative purposes reports for previous years are also available on the HEA website. One of the key objectives in the Higher Education System Performance Framework for 2014-16 which I published earlier this year is that work will continue to promote access to higher education for disadvantaged groups, including students from target socio-economic groups. Progress towards this objective is monitored against target entry rates for under-represented socio-economic groups in the current national Access Plan (2008-2013). New targets and indicators are being developed as part of the next national Access Plan for 2014 onwards.
240. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce a structured and graduated approach to assessing the incomes of college applicants and their families to determine a more progressive scale of annual college registration fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40626/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware the Student Contribution, which currently stands at €2,500, is payable by students who qualify under my Departments Free Fees Schemes. Students who qualify under my Department's student grant scheme have the contribution paid on their behalf by the Exchequer (some 40%). Conscious of financial pressures on families tax relief provisions have been put in place so that second and subsequent siblings do not have to bear the full cost. An additional category of "50% Student Contribution" is also available under the student grants scheme to assist in meeting the cost. Higher Education Institutions, at my request, have provisions in place to allow students to pay the contribution in two moieties. The HEA is undertaking a study on the sustainability of the current funding system for higher education. This study was initiated at my request and an initial report has been published. This report makes it clear that immediate work is required to prepare for a longer term approach to a system that can be maintained through a sustainable funding base which will be able to address the continual expansion of the sector while protecting the quality of education. The HEA is continuing its work in this area and I will be advised further as this work progresses. The report will help inform decision-making as to the future funding of the sector.
241. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the level of compliance with European Union directives within his ministerial areas of responsibility; the current fines resulting from non-compliance and potential fines resulting from present non-compliance the State is or may be exposed to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40633/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is in compliance with European Union directives within my areas of responsibility. No fines have been imposed for non-compliance, or are likely to be imposed in the foreseeable future.
