Written Answers Nos. 221-229
221. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Kerry will have a further opportunity to appeal a decision to withdraw teachers for 2015-16; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13671/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2015/2016 school year is set out in the published staffing arrangements (Circular 0005/2015) which is available on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the 30 September 2014. The staffing arrangements also include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the criteria for appeal are contained in Circular 0005/2015.
The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for consideration by the Appeals Board at its March 2015 meeting. The Appeals Board determined that the appeal did not satisfy all of the published criteria as set out in Circular 0005/2015. The school has been notified in this regard.
The Appeal Board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final.
222. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when she will implement measures to reduce the reliance on short-term contracts and part-time work in primary and secondary schools, as recommended by the report of the Expert Group on Fixed Term and Part-Time Employment in Primary and Second Level Education. [13672/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe report of the Expert Group on Fixed-Term and Part-Time Employment in Primary and Second Level Education in Ireland was published in September 2014. At the time of publication I gave a commitment to implement the report with effect from September 2015. Following consultation with the education partners Circulars 23/2015 and 24/2015 detailing the arrangements and procedures for the implementation of the recommendations of the report were published last Friday March 27th. These arrangements and procedures as set out in these circulars are for implementation from the commencement of the 2015/16 school year.
Copies of these circulars are available on my Department's website at the following link http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Employment-Terms-and-Conditions/Fixed-Term-Contracts.html.
223. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to this Deputy's recent correspondence, if her Department will confirm the entitlement of a concession to a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13677/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school referred to by the Deputy is accessible by bridge from the mainland. It is not therefore in the same position as other island schools that are only accessible by boat or by helicopter/aeroplane. The particular staffing arrangements for island schools that are set out in the published Staffing Schedule are designed to reflect the isolated nature of an island school that is only accessible by boat or by helicopter/aeroplane and the operational and practical difficulties that this can create for the school and, in particular, the availability of teaching staff. These circumstances do not apply to the school referred to by the Deputy.
In the current school year this school has an enrolment of 58 pupils and has 3 classroom teachers (including the Teaching Principal). The number of classroom teachers is not due to change for the 2015/16 school year. The school is also the base for a shared GAM/EAL (learning/language) support post with a school on the mainland.
224. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to this Deputy's recent correspondence, if her Department will confirm funding in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13678/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOfficials from my Department have been in contact with the Patron's Office and the Management Authority of the schools concerned to request further information in respect of the proposal. When the full information requested has been received, my Department will be in a position to consider the application further.
225. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to recent discussions, if her Department will review its post-primary school transport policy in respect of a community (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13679/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for 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 on behalf of my Department, determine eligibility by measuring the shortest traversable route from a child's home to the relevant education centre.
The terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis and it would not be appropriate for me to allow exceptions to these terms.
226. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to recent discussions, if her Department will review its primary school transport policy in respect of a community (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13680/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, determine eligibility by measuring the shortest traversable route from a child's home to the relevant national school.
The terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis and it would not be appropriate for me to allow exceptions to these terms.
227. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views that money on the school book rental scheme would be better spent on a single contract for the provision of free school books and interactive e-books for all school children, in view of the fact that private book publishing companies claim that they could provide such a service for the equivalent budget of the current scheme, which only assists some children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13681/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am very conscious that the cost of textbooks is a considerable burden on families. The previous Minister met with members of the Irish Educational Publishers' Association in 2011 and impressed on them the need to limit the cost of textbooks. He also stressed to them the real need to avoid placing schools and families in a position where textbooks are altered unnecessarily.
The Association responded positively to his approaches and agreed a voluntary Code of Practice among their members. The Code commits the publishers to limit the publication of new editions and to maintaining editions of books in print unchanged for at least six years.
The publishers have also given assurances that they will sell textbooks to schools at discounts so that schools can purchase textbooks in bulk to stock textbook rental schemes.
My Department provided approximately €15m in total to first and second level schools by way of book grants in 2012 and the same level of funding was provided in 2013 and 2014. It will continue to be paid in 2015.
Budget 2014 provided funding of €5 million for three years to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that did not operate such schemes. DEIS schools will receive €150 per child and non-DEIS schools will receive €100 per child in seed capital to establish book rental schemes.
This will cost approximately €6.7million of the €15 million secured over the three year period, the balance of €8.3 million will be divided in 2015 and 2016 among primary schools that currently operate book rental schemes. Every primary school has now been given the opportunity to benefit from the funding secured for the School Book Rental Scheme.
The previous Minister also launched new "Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools" on the 28th January 2013. These Guidelines provide practical advice to primary and post-primary schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated. The aim of the Guidelines is to help as many schools as possible to start such book rental programmes. Schools which already have book rental schemes can save parents up to 80% of the cost of buying new books.
A special "Guide for Parents" was also published, to inform them of how the schemes operate and how parents can help schools to establish and run them.
Educational book publishers are independent private companies not under the direct control of my Department.
One estimate from publishers' sources suggests that the Irish school book market is worth approximately €60million per annum.
Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at second-level, mainly in the case of language subjects, decisions on textbooks are taken at school level. Individual schools need to adopt a more cost-conscious approach to the selection of books in their classes. I have no plans to amend the present funding arrangements for book grants at primary and second level.
228. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm funding in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13682/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to advise the Deputy that the school to which he refers is included in the list of schools I announced earlier today that have been approved for funding under the Summer Works Scheme 2014. The school in question has been approved funding for the provision of external environment works. Further details and instructions on how to proceed with its project can be accessed by the school using my Department's on-line Esinet Portal.
229. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the additional accommodation needs and accommodation improvements that have been identified for a school (details supplied) in County Galway; if she is aware of the increases in enrolment forecast; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13698/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that should the school in question have a need for additional accommodation, particularly where an additional post is due to be appointed due to increasing enrolments, it is open to the school to submit an application to the Department, copy of which may be downloaded from my Department's website on www.education.ie.
The application once received will be assessed and a decision conveyed to the school authorities as soon as this process has been completed.
