Written Answers Nos. 81-89
81. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the eligibility requirements for the book rental scheme with particular reference to the exclusion of schools that had already established their own schemes; if he will take into account the circumstances pertaining to a school (details supplied) in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3361/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFirst let me clarify that the Department will continue to provide a book grant as usual to all primary schools. This grant, can be utilised for the purposes of updating or expanding a school's existing book rental scheme.
I want to commend all schools that have used it to help build up book rental schemes over the years. Their efforts mean that the high costs of school books is being significantly reduced for parents.
At my request, the National Parents' Council surveyed the views of their members in relation to currently operating book rental schemes. Parents have reported that where book rental schemes operate, they are open to all parents in 95% of cases, and that the cost per child is under €40 per year in a considerable majority of schools.
Perhaps most tellingly, the survey has found that 93% of parents believe that book rental schemes help with the costs of educating a child. Ensuring that book rental schemes are available to all parents must therefore clearly be our aim.
I understand that it feels unfair to those schools who have invested time and money to establish such schemes, that they now cannot benefit from the additional funding which was secured as part of the Budget. Of course it is unfair, but equally, the status quo was deeply unfair on many parents.
The parents who had no access whatsoever to book rental schemes needed more support.
With the limited funding available, I believe that targeting this funding - to make sure that every parent in Ireland has access to some level of a book rental scheme - was the greatest good that could be achieved.
82. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number and the names of schools in County Cavan that will be grant aided under the new book rental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3362/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra83. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number and the names of schools in County Monaghan that will be grant aided under the new book rental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3363/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together.
The Deputy will be aware from Budget 2014 that additional funding has been provided which will involve an investment of €15m to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that do not currently operate them. The Department will provide €5m in seed capital per annum over a three year period to such schools. The Department is contacting primary schools that do not currently operate a book rental scheme to advise them of the application process. The information requested by the Deputy is not yet available.
84. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question of 23 October 2013 and 4 December 2013 when a reply will issue to a query (details supplied) raised with the Department on 23 September 2013; the reason for the delay with the response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3392/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe query to which the Deputy refers is being addressed by the Pension Unit of my Department and officials will be in contact with the person to whom the Deputy refers in the coming week.
86. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider amending the student grant provisions to allow social welfare payments such as illness benefit or supplementary welfare to be recognised as one of the payments required to satisfy the criteria for the special rate of maintenance in circumstances where the income is beneath the required threshold; his views on whether such a provision would be within the spirit of the special rate of maintenance to provide additional support to those students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3441/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIllness benefit and Supplementary welfare allowance are not eligible payments for the special rate of grant because they are considered to be short-term payments.
Jobseeker's allowance is considered to be a short-term payment unless it is held for 391 consecutive days at the 31st December. Periods of Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit, Illness Benefit and Maternity Benefit may be combined for the purposes of meeting the 391 days, provided that a period of Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit comes directly before or directly after the period of Illness or Maternity Benefit. Whilst a student may not eligible for the special rate of maintenance grant in his/her first year of study he/she may apply for the special rate in subsequent years of their study. It is not proposed to depart from the existing arrangements for the determination of the eligibility for the special rate of maintenance grant.
87. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the other options that are available in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3465/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware of my previous replies on this matter. My official's understanding of the case is that the options in question have not been exhausted. I have asked my officials to seek clarity on the matter with the Deputy's office.
88. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make additional resources available for the student assistance fund since an additional allocation had been made over the past two years and the level of student hardship continues to be on the increase. [3505/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Student Assistance Fund is a component of the Third Level Access Measure which is managed on behalf of my Department by the Higher Education Authority and comprises two sub-priorities: the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. The overall value of the measure for the 2013/14 academic year is €16.2m. The management of the Third Level Access Measure Fund rests with the Higher Education Authority and the allocation of funding for the sub-priorities in a particular year is a matter for the authority. The Student Assistance Fund is administered on a local basis by participating higher education institutions and targets those students most in need. The Authority approved in July of this year an allocation for the Student Assistance Fund for the 2013/14 academic year of €8m. Each participating institution was advised of its individual allocation in advance of the academic year in order to facilitate timely planning and disbursement to students.Following agreement with my Department, the HEA, in January 2014, allocated €350,000 of funding to higher education institutions to assist students in severe financial need. This funding is in addition to the €8m allocated in 2013. The €350,000 will be distributed across all higher education institutions that currently receive an SAF allocation and has been allocated in the same way as the core SAF allocation for 2013-14 of €8m. The funding will provide institutions with additional resources to support full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students that are experiencing financial difficulties.
89. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills regarding the residency requirements for accessing third level education for returning emigrants, his plans to make any changes to the current system which states you must be resident in Ireland for three out of the past five years to qualify for the free fees scheme, with the result that young persons who emigrate for two years or more and wish to return to education may be charged full non-EEA international fees. [3506/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe main criteria of the Free Fees Initiative is that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. Where students do not qualify for free fees they must pay the appropriate fee - either EU or Non-EU rate, as determined by their third level institution. The higher education institutions are autonomous institutions and the level of fee payable by students who do not meet the requirements of the free fees scheme is a matter for the relevant institution.
While the issue of fee rates payable by students is entirely a matter for the institutions I have requested that the Higher Education Authority liaise with the sector in order to establish and report on the practices currently operated by individual institutions and to seek to agree a common approach across the sector. This review is also intended to examine the issue of Irish students who have been living abroad and intend returning to Ireland to study at third level. It is hoped that, following this review, revised arrangements which will have clear and consistent criteria can be agreed, and will be in place for the next academic year.
