Written Answers Nos. 515 - 532
515. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the primary online database plan will allow for data to be automatically synchronised with commercial databases used by schools; the details or control that her Department holds relating to the encryption, storage and access rights over data in those commercial databases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4477/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is a matter for each individual school to decide whether or not to purchase and run specialist school management information systems in their schools. Some primary schools have such systems in place while others maintain paper or simple spreadsheet records. My Department has provided a facility for primary schools to automatically synchronize data from POD to their local management information systems. This facility is being provided to remove from schools the burden of double-keying data i.e. entering the data once on POD and a second time on their local system. The data is transmitted securely from POD to the local systems using HTTPS. It is the responsibility of Primary Schools as Data Controllers to ensure that data held on their local systems is held securely
516. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, for the years 2007 to 2010 the total photography costs in her Department, including a list of which photographers were booked, the photographers used and breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4491/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra517. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide. in tabular form. for the years 1997 to 2007 the total photography costs in her Department, including a list of which photographers were booked, the photographers used and breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4507/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 516 and 517 together.
The following tabular statement contains details of expenditure on photography and the photography companies that were engaged and a description of the event where this was recorded.
Details for the years 1997 to 1999 pre-date the introduction of the Financial Management System at my Department. As such, the data for these years is not readily available and would take an inordinate amount of time to compile.
|
DATE OF INVOICE |
NAME |
AMOUNT |
REF |
|
13/05/2010 |
Nick Bradshaw |
€326.70 |
Seán Lemass Awards |
|
02/06/2010 |
Nick Bradshaw |
€326.70 |
Signing of building contracts |
|
09/06/2010 |
Nick Bradshaw |
€326.70 |
Maths report |
|
20/07/2010 |
Nick Bradshaw |
€326.70 |
Signing of building contract |
|
15/09/2010 |
Clive Wasson |
€254.10 |
Opening of two schools |
|
05/11/2010 |
Nick Bradshaw |
€326.70 |
Announcement of high-tech classroom grants |
|
23/11/2010 |
Nick Bradshaw |
€326.70 |
Literacy and Numeracy plan |
|
- |
TOTAL 2010 |
€2,214.30 |
- |
518. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, a list of all external public relations firms hired by her Department and associated costs incurred from 2007 to 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4541/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department did not incur any expenditure on external public relations from 2007 to 2010.
519. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide additional funding in respect of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 20 to allow it to carry out a dyslexia assessment on one of their students. [4554/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximise positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment.
This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
I have made inquiries in the matter and find that the child in question has not been brought to the attention of the assigned Psychologist by school authorities. If the parents of the child have specific concerns about his educational progress I would advise in the first instance that they speak to the Principal of the school with a view to raising these concerns with the assigned NEPS psychologist.
520. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a unit will be approved in a school (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4559/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is not in receipt of any application or proposal from the school in question in relation to an ASD unit, but the school authorities can contact my Department should they wish to discuss the matter further.
521. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to address the anomaly which has deprived 30 or so teachers of just over €3,000 annually since the teaching qualification allowances were discontinued in 2012 (details supplied). [4584/15]
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.
522. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding her Department has spent on new school building projects in County Meath since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4597/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra523. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding her Department has spent on additional accommodation in County Meath since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4598/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 522 and 523 together.
The capital funding issued to schools in County Meath in the years 2011 to 2014 in respect of Large Scale projects is as follows: 2011 - €9.4m, 2012 - €14.5m, 2013 - €23.6m, 2014 - €13.2m.
The capital funding issued to schools in County Meath in the years 2011 to 2014 in respect of the Additional Accommodation Scheme is as follows: 2011 - €3.2m, 2012 - €3.3m, 2013 - €3.9m, 2014 - €1.1m.
524. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding her Department has spent on emergency works in County Meath since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4599/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra525. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding her Department has spent on prefab replacement in County Meath since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4600/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 524 and 525 together.
Details of funding provided under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme for schools in Co Meath for the years 2011 to 2014 is outlined in the following table.
Under my Department's Prefab Replacement Initiatives 10 schools in Co. Meath received funding totalling €3.4m to replace prefabs with permanent accommodation.
In addition to the prefab replacement initiatives as part of my Department's large scale school building programme, prefab accommodation continues to be replaced with permanent structures on an on-going basis. Details of all schools on the 5 year capital programme is available on the Department's website.
Emergency work funding to schools in County Meath 2011 - 2014
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
- |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
EWG |
184,930 |
337,475 |
160,390 |
291,200 |
526. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a degree course will be recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland for the purpose of teaching at second level (details supplied). [4617/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2006, under the Teaching Council Act 2001, the Teaching Council is the regulator of the teaching profession. One of the main ways in which it regulates the profession is by reviewing and, where appropriate, accrediting programmes of Initial Teacher Education. As this is an operational matter for the Teaching Council the course provider should contact the Teaching Council in the first instance.
527. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 142 of 21 January 2015, the manner in which this issue is being examined; the persons responsible for examining it; and if she has set a date for receiving a report on the matter. [4719/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe practical implications of implementing the School Placement guidelines are acknowledged. Relevant stakeholders in education need to work together to resolve these issues. I understand that discussions are ongoing between the Teaching Council and providers of Initial Teacher Education as to how a more streamlined approach might be introduced nationally with regard to School Placement. The Teaching Council will continue to promote and encourage the development of a single national system for allocation of school placement positions as a clear indication of a partnership approach between HEIs and schools, which is critical to the success of this essential component of ITE.
While I do not expect to receive a report on the matter, my officials have ongoing contact with the Teaching Council regarding this matter and my Department will support, as appropriate, any developments which facilitate the smooth operation of school placement in terms of logistics and the further development of schools as hosts for school placement.
528. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide in tabular form the details of agency staff costs incurred by her Department or its aegis in 2012, 2013 and 2014, including the breakdown of the staff roles involved and the area within her Department's aegis where they are contracted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4743/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department did not incur any costs in respect of agency staff in 2012, 2013 or 2014. With regard to agencies under the aegis of my Department, details of agency staff costs incurred by them is a matter for each agency. This information is not collated centrally by my Department.
529. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a recent form issued by her Department to be completed by primary school students seeking information on their ethnic background contains the terms white Irish and black background when these terms do not identify ethnicity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4748/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are many different definitions and understandings of what comprises ethnic and cultural background, and it is understood that the range of possible categories is wider than what is outlined in the Deputy's question. The question in relation to ethnic and cultural background are based on the categories from the two most recent Census of Population questions, and similar to those asked in many other countries.
The Department welcomes and will take under consideration all feedback in relation to the structure of the Ethnic and cultural background question. We are committed to continually reviewing the variables in POD, and in response to feedback given we are proposing to review some of the labelling of the categories in this question. We will notify schools on this in due course.
In relation to the overall question the Statistics Section of the Department met with the CSO's Census of Population Division to discuss concerns around this question. They accept that the variant of the ethnicity question on the 2016 census may fall short of what could be expected in today's multiracial Ireland. Given the no-change' census approach being adopted for Census of Population 2016 it is not possible to change the CSO question at this stage.
However the CSO has indicated that it is considering holding a seminar this year to examine how the data in this area can be improved from the point of view of maximising the number of write-in responses to increase the variety of ethnic descriptions captured, the classification system used, and also looking at the nationality vs. citizenship issue and examining generally how the outputs from the census can be improved in this important area. The Department of Education and Skills will be participating in this seminar.
Note that the question on POD is intended to capture ethnic and cultural background only and there is a separate question on POD for nationality. If a category such as other black background or other inc. mixed background is chosen the pupil can record their Irish nationality in the nationality question.
530. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 will be provided with access to a scribe for the leaving certificate examination in view of the fact they have a condition called dysgraphia. [4768/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply.
531. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will re-examine the new criteria put in place to be eligible for access to a scribe or word processor in State examinations as the criteria is too stringent and students such as a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 are missing out on this vital service by a mere 1% in the qualifying tests; and if discretion can be applied when a student misses out by such a small margin. [4769/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply.
532. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a student whose parent is a State employee earning in the region of €65,000 per year, but who is engaged in the insolvency process and consequently has no disposable income whatsoever, is eligible for the student grant scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4783/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The Deputy will appreciate that, in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it is not possible to say whether or not a particular student would qualify for a grant.
The eligibility of the individual to which the Deputy refers is a matter for SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine; upon receipt of the relevant application form and supporting documentation.
