Written Answers Nos. 457-471
457. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the review carried out into the visiting teacher service; when the review will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3518/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the review of the Visiting Teacher Service was carried out in response to policy advice from the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in May 2013, which recommended that the service should be reviewed. Accordingly, my Department commissioned an independent review of the service in line with the NCSE recommendations. The review has now been concluded and a report has been submitted to my Department. The report is currently being considered by my officials. When this process has been concluded the question of publication of the report and implementation of the Report's recommendations will be considered.
I can confirm however that my Department is committed to continuing to provide appropriate high quality resources to schools for the education of children with special educational needs, including children with hearing and visual impairment.
458. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to making computing a compulsory subject for the leaving certificate (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3530/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe development of ICT skills across all subjects and aspects of teaching and learning is critical. Such skills are not just confined to particular Leaving Certificate subjects such as in the study of Design Communication and Graphics where it is a core component of learning but such skills are a core component of the students learning experience right across senior cycle. ICT is seen as a cross curricular tool which enhances the learning experience and is required by students in everyday life. At Senior Cycle, the NCCA is currently working on the revision of a significant number of Leaving Certificate subjects, including Leaving Certificate Applied Mathematics. A background document was out for consultation before Christmas. It includes suggestions relating to a proposed core and options. One of the options for consideration in the consultation paper is the inclusion of "computer programming". Submissions have been received and are currently being considered. The next step is the production of a draft specification for Leaving Certificate Applied Mathematics and this is due by the end of the year for consultation. The inclusion of the "computer programming" option will form part of the NCCA's deliberations. There are no plans currently for the NCCA to design a stand alone subject called Leaving Certificate computer programming. I would also note that the roll-out of 100 mbps high speed broadband to all post primary has been completed since 2014.
459. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills in respect of Circular 0008/2013 her views on a situation (details supplied) pertaining to a number of persons who are excluded from receipt of a qualification allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3554/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2012 a public service-wide review of allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result of the review, qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1st February 2012. Department of Education and Skills Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this decision on teachers. In Paragraph 12 of Circular 0008/2013 an exception is made in the case "where as at 5 December 2011, a teacher in employment on that date and eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of the post they held on that date, was actively undertaking a course of further study leading to an additional qualification, provided that the teacher does not cease to be a registered student on that course before its completion. Such individuals may apply to the Department/VEC (now ETB) as appropriate for a derogation from the general position within 3 months of the date of receipt of the award." Teachers who were not in employment in an Oireachtas funded post on 5 December 2011 and not eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of any teaching post on that date, do not qualify for payment of an allowance in respect of the qualification related to the course being undertaken at that time. The issues raised by the Deputy have been brought to the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC) by representatives of the teachers concerned and it would therefore not be appropriate to comment further until the issues have been deliberated on by that forum. The TCC is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers, the purpose of which is to provide a means of dealing with claims and proposals relating to the salaries and terms and conditions of teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of the teacher representative bodies, school management, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission.
460. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a student (details supplied) in Dublin 15 with a learning difficulty has been refused a waiver for the leaving certificate when a waiver was provided for the junior certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3557/15]
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.
461. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide the amount invested by her Department into schools in County Galway, broken down by year between 2011 and 2014 and by primary and post-primary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3569/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra481. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount invested by her Department into schools in County Galway since 2011, broken down by school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3834/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 481 together.
The capital funding issued to schools in the primary and post-primary sectors in County Galway in the years 2011 to 2014 is as follows:
PRIMARY: 2011 - €12.6m; 2012 - €8.5m; 2013 - €12.8m; 2014 - €13.7m.
POST-PRIMARY: 2011 - €4.5m; 2012 - €5.2m; 2013 - €14m; 2014 - €11.6m.
If the Deputy wishes to nominate the level of capital funding issued to a specific school, I would be happy to provide such data.
462. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount that has been expended to date by Caranua and under which headings; and the number of persons that received payment, including administrative costs. [3571/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraCaranua is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. Caranua provides regular updates on its website (www.caranua.ie) in regard to the number of applications received and related matters. I understand that by 31st December 2014, Caranua had made payments worth €8,935,624 to 1,062 persons who had applied to it. That total amount is broken down under the following headings: Housing €6.42m, Heath €2.16m and Education €0.35m. I understand also that administrative costs associated with the running of the organisation in 2014 amounted to just over €1m. I should point out that all of these figures are provisional and are unaudited. In accordance with the relevant legislative provisions, Caranua's audited annual accounts will be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas in the normal manner.
463. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the policy of her Department for new school buildings; and the provision of access for disabled children, particularly where the new building has more than one floor. [3581/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's Technical Guidance Documents – TGD-020 section 8, sets out the general principles of Universal Design in schools, which all design and construction professionals engaged on school building projects are obliged to follow. In addition all new school building projects are subject to compliance with the Building Regulations 1997–2014. Part M of the Regulations deals with the subject of accessibility and the related Technical Guidance Document M – 'Access and Use' sets out the guidance requirements which design and construction professionals must apply in the design of all new buildings including schools. Allied to this, an application for a Disability Access Certificate is normally required for all new school building projects. All Design Teams engaged in the design of new schools, whether they are single or multi-storey buildings, must submit plans, documents and calculations to the relevant Local Authority, which will, in turn, issue a Disability Access Certificate once compliance has been demonstrated.
464. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of staff in each institute of technology employed in permanent wholetime posts; the number of staff in each institute of technology employed on contracts of indefinite duration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3613/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total number of Permanent Whole Time Equivalent Core Staff in the Institutes of Technology Sector is 4,567.53 and total Whole Time Equivalent Contracts of Indefinite Duration is 1,594.82
The following table shows the breakdown of these figures by Institute.
Institutes of Technology Core Staff: Permanent and CID - December 2014
|
Institute |
Permanent |
CID |
|
Athlone IT |
243.20 |
130.40 |
|
IT Blanchardstown |
143.06 |
30.11 |
|
IT Carlow |
189.87 |
62.84 |
|
Cork IT |
534.52 |
235.35 |
|
Dundalk IT |
288.55 |
83.52 |
|
IADT Dún Laoghaire* |
117.44 |
38.86 |
|
Galway Mayo IT |
286.60 |
170.50 |
|
Letterkenny IT |
201.94 |
67.63 |
|
Limerick IT |
281.17 |
94.67 |
|
IT Sligo |
269.50 |
112.50 |
|
IT Tallaght |
232.48 |
43.32 |
|
IT Tralee |
203.67 |
46.30 |
|
Waterford IT* |
378.64 |
229.35 |
|
Dublin IT |
1124.43 |
242.85 |
|
Tipperary Institute |
72.46 |
6.62 |
|
Total |
4567.53 |
1594.82 |
*Figures for IADT and WIT are based on September Returns.
465. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the capital application in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Galway; if it will be included on the next five year capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3614/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The schools Design Team is currently working on Stage 2b - Detailed Design, which involves obtaining planning permission, fire certificate and disability access certificate and the completion of tender documents. Final Grant of Planning was received in January 2015. As the Deputy will also be aware, the school in question is one of a number of schools which it was not possible to include in the 5 Year construction programme. However the school project is being progressed to the final planning stages in anticipation of further funds being available to the Department in future years.
466. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the construction of a school (details supplied) in County Roscommon will commence; the other schools to be included in the bundle; when these projects will be ready to commence construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3636/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project for the school in Roscommon referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning Stage 2b – Detailed Design which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. All relevant statutory approvals have been obtained and the Design Team is currently working on the preparation of the tender documentation. The Stage 2b Submission is expected to be submitted to my Department for review shortly. Following the review of the submission and subject to no issues arising, officials from my Department will contact the Board of Management with regard to the further progression of the project to tender stage. As you may be aware on 18 December 2014 I announced details of 70 school projects which are scheduled to commence construction in 2015. The building project for the school in question was included in this announcement.
467. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the external lighting in the internal road network within the school campus at Blacklion, Greystones, County Wicklow will be made operational; her views that the absence of functioning lighting in a campus containing two national schools and a secondary school represents a significant danger and hazard to children, staff and parents; if her Department has consulted with the Health and Safety Authority in relation to the absence of such lighting in a workplace under the ownership of her Department; the interim steps that will be taken to provide such lighting pending any permanent solution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3690/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that none of the schools on the campus in question has raised this matter with my Department. I understand that the street lights referred to by the Deputy may be on the access road to the school campus. However, this road is outside the campus site boundary and is not under the ownership of my Department. The lights internal to the respective schools' site boundary are functioning as intended. Officials from my Department will contact the schools in question to identify the issues and to determine what action may be required.
468. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding loco parentis in a classroom situation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3699/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe supervision of pupils in classrooms is an integral part of a teacher's professional duties and contract of employment with his or her school. The teacher is expected to take all reasonable steps in relation to the care of those pupils to ensure their safety and welfare. That responsibility remains with the teacher when an inspector, or any other visitor, is in the classroom. The work and conduct of members of my Department's Inspectorate are governed by the principles set out in the Code of Practice for the Inspectorate, which include respectful engagement, responsibility and accountability. There is a well-established procedure whereby any teacher affected by an inspection may request a review of that inspection. This procedure facilitates teachers and inspectors to address concerns, complaints and misunderstandings as quickly as possible. Where an issue arises during a classroom visit, the teacher should raise the matter with the inspector immediately on the conclusion of the classroom visit. The Inspectorate's Code of Practice and Procedure for Review are available on the Department's website.
469. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding teachers' pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3702/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2012 a public service-wide review of allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result of the review, qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1st February 2012. Department of Education and Skills Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this decision on teachers. In Paragraph 12 of Circular 0008/2013 an exception is made in the case "where as at 5 December 2011, a teacher in employment on that date and eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of the post they held on that date, was actively undertaking a course of further study leading to an additional qualification, provided that the teacher does not cease to be a registered student on that course before its completion. Such individuals may apply to the Department/VEC (now ETB) as appropriate for a derogation from the general position within 3 months of the date of receipt of the award." Teachers who were not in employment in an Oireachtas funded post on 5 December 2011 and not eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of any teaching post on that date, do not qualify for payment of an allowance in respect of the qualification related to the course being undertaken at that time. The issues raised by the Deputy have been brought to the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC) by representatives of the teachers concerned and it would therefore not be appropriate to comment further until the issues have been deliberated on by that forum. The TCC is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers, the purpose of which is to provide a means of dealing with claims and proposals relating to the salaries and terms and conditions of teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of the teacher representative bodies, school management, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission.
470. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on discussions with teachers since the strike action on 22 January 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3703/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraReform of the Junior Cycle is important and is a policy priority. The current dispute with the teacher unions will not be resolved on the picket line. It will be resolved through meaningful negotiation. Dr. Pauric Travers has contacted the teacher unions and myself to propose further talks this week. I welcome this initiative and my Department will engage in these talks in a constructive manner.
471. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a public transport route operated by Bus Éireann from Listowel to Tralee, County Kerry bus station only is considered as a school bus transport service for the calculation of mileage for the boarding grant element of the remote area grant scheme in respect of attending Irish-medium secondary education. [3705/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Remote Area Boarding Grant scheme, provision is made for the payment of grants in respect of pupils whose normal place of residence is outside the range of public transport services to a school providing suitable free second-level education. To qualify for a boarding grant, an applicant must:
(a) be normally resident in the state; and
(b) be resident at least 4.8 km from a second-level school where suitable free second-level education is available and more than 3.2 km from a pick-up point on a transport service to such a school; and
(c) be unable to obtain a place in a suitable second-level school within 25 km of his/her normal place of residence; and
(d) be a pupil in a second-level school providing free second-level education.
The full terms of the scheme are available on the Department's website. Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from a child's home to the relevant education centre.
