Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:64. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the protocols regarding bullying in schools including any protocols surrounding teacher-pupil bullying. [12245/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraBullying in Schools
Ceisteanna (64)
Freagraí scríofa
The Deputy will be aware that I published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post-primary schools at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year. The purpose of these procedures is to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. The procedures include specific requirements in relation to the use of prevention and education strategies and the consistent investigation, follow up and recording of bullying behaviour amongst pupils.
Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is the employer of the teachers in a school. 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. 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.
Schools Building Projects Expenditure
Ceisteanna (65)
John Halligan
Ceist:65. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 245 of 18 February 2014, if he will clarify the following discrepancies, €26 million difference between the figure noted in his reply to my question and the budget allocation noted on page 2 of the Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016; 50 school projects going into construction announced in press release December 2012 announcing the 2013 capital investment, 56 school projects scheduled for 2012 announced in December, 2011 and this year 70 school building projects announced in December 2013; the exact number of school building projects planned under the CIP 2012-2016; the number of these projects that have been shelved for various reasons; what new projects have been added to the list to replace them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12282/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The gross capital allocation indicated for the Education sector in 2013 under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016 Programme published in November 2011 amounts to €415m. This was increased in 2013 by a carryover from the 2012 capital allocation and by savings that emerged on the Department's current allocation. The figure of €436 million provided in my answer to PQ No. 245 of 18th February 2014 is the correct figure for the outturn on my Department's net capital expenditure for 2013.
The current status in relation to each of the individual projects on the annual programme announcements for 2012, 2013 and 2014 to which the Deputy refers are available on my Department's website and are updated on a monthly basis. 275 major school projects were included in the 5 year programme announced in March 2012. One school has been informed that its project cannot proceed on the existing site. When the five year programme was announced I made it clear that there would be a small number of additional projects, required for demographic reasons, which would need to proceed to construction in the lifetime of the plan. Five additional projects have been added since the programme was initially announced. In addition, in June 2013, I announced 28 additional major projects to proceed to construction under the Investment in Infrastructure & Jobs programme.
Schools Amalgamation
Ceisteanna (66)
Dara Murphy
Ceist:66. Deputy Dara Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update in relation to the proposed merging of schools (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12302/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I can confirm for the Deputy that while my Department is aware of the Patron's proposals to merge the schools concerned, I have not received any proposal from the Patron in the matter. The initiative for any amalgamation or re-organisation may come from a variety of sources, such as parents, staff, Boards of Management and patron. Any such proposal to amalgamate schools must involve consultation with all of the relevant stakeholders and follow decisions taken at local level. The decision making authority for any amalgamation belongs to the Patron of a school, subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills.
Special Educational Needs Service Provision
Ceisteanna (67)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:67. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the situation where over 40 visually and audibly impaired children in the areas of Roscommon, Sligo and Donegal have been without the visiting teacher service since December 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12306/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department provides a national visiting teacher service to support the educational development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing or who are blind or have a visual impairment. Visiting teacher support for children with hearing impairment in the areas of Roscommon, Sligo and Donegal has been affected by the short-term absence of a member of staff. Services for children with visual impairment in the region have not been affected. Arrangements are being made for other visiting teachers in the region to provide cover for hearing impairment support during the period of absence. Schools and parents of pre-school children will be notified of the revised service arrangements and contact information within the next week. Schools and parents wishing to contact the visiting teacher service should do so using the contact telephone number provided by their assigned visiting teacher. It is expected that the above arrangements will ensure the continuation of an effective service for children, parents and schools in the region.
Departmental Records
Ceisteanna (68)
Noel Harrington
Ceist:68. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide to an applicant a tracking service for all applications to his Department and agencies under the aegis of his Department from members of the public for such items as student grants, school building projects, licences and grants and other applications processed by his Department similar to the passport applications tracking scheme processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12357/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department has a number of internal tracking systems in place to process applications which are received in the Department. General and detailed information on a range of grants payable by the Department is available in the "Services" area of the Schools and Colleges section of the Department of Education and Skills website. Grants payable by my Department tend to be for a specific purpose and relevant only to specific groups or cohorts, and, accordingly, are not of general application as is the case with the passport office application system.
The Deputy should note that the student grants system is administered by the City of Dublin Education and Training Board, which has in place a self-service online application tracker that allows applicants to identify the status of their application personally, by tracking their application online. For the Deputy's information, my Department does not issue licences.
With regard to bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information sought is a matter for each agency and is not collated centrally. If the Deputy has an interest in a particular agency then officials in my Department will request the agency concerned to provide the relevant information insofar as it is possible.
Ministerial Meetings
Ceisteanna (69)
Patrick Nulty
Ceist:69. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of times he and officials in his Department have met a company (details supplied) or its representatives since he took office; if he will provide details, in tabular form, of the dates of each meeting; the names of the company representatives involved; the titles of the departmental officials involved; the reason for each meeting; the matters discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12370/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
For the information of the Deputy, I can confirm that neither myself nor officials of my Department have held meetings with Communicorp Group Ltd.
Home Tuition Scheme Administration
Ceisteanna (70)
Patrick O'Donovan
Ceist:70. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding payment to a tutor (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12396/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Deputy will be aware that the Home Tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. Parents engage tutors directly and the grant is paid to the parent either on a monthly basis in arrears or where possible in advance to assist parents cover the cost of engaging a tutor. This affords a degree of flexibility and choice for parents in selecting the most suitable tutor for the purposes of home tuition for their children. Parents/Legal guardians approved for the Home Tuition Grant engage tutors for the duration of the approved home tuition scheme on a self-employment basis and are paid directly by the Department into their own bank account and not the account of the tutor. It is then the responsibility of the parent/legal guardian to transfer the fees received to the tutor.
The position in the case to which the Deputy refers, is that the self-employed tutor has stated that the parent who received the full home tuition grant has not paid the tutor for the tuition provided. The Department has written regarding this matter to the parent and is awaiting a reply to same. However, as the Department had no role in the payment to this tutor, the matter in dispute is between the parent and the tutor.
School Textbooks Rental Scheme
Ceisteanna (71)
Terence Flanagan
Ceist:71. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schools in Dublin north-east and Dublin north-central that are availing of the book rental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12398/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.