Written Answers Nos. 180-187
180. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding is available for a course (details supplied) in the United Kingdom through the Student Universal Support Ireland scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15082/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications.
This service compliments the established channels provided by SUSI which include online application tracking, a dedicated website, a telephone helpdesk, email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter.
Enquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. SUSI is responding to email queries within a matter of days.
181. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding demand for second level places in a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15102/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that there are seven post primary schools in the area in question, one of which opened in temporary accommodation last September. A permanent school building for this school, which will have capacity for 1,000 pupils is under construction and will be ready for occupation in September 2015. This will facilitate a first year intake of up to 120 pupils, an increase of 68 from last September. The Deputy is aware that another new 1,000 pupil post-primary school opened in the same area in September 2009.
In addition, building projects for two other post-primary schools in the area, were included on the Five Year Construction Programme to proceed to tender and construction. When these projects are completed, the schools will have capacity for 1,000 pupils each.
My Department expects the seven schools between them to cater for the level of demand presenting for pupil places. A situation may arise however where some pupils may not obtain a place in their school of first choice.
My Department is currently undertaking a nationwide demographic review to determine where additional post-primary school places will be needed in the coming years. I wish to advise the Deputy that the area referred to is included in this review.
182. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the contract for special needs assistants (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15103/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support. Where children have significant care needs whereby they may need additional support to be able to attend school, the NCSE may make an allocation of SNA support to the school to assist that child. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
The employment and deployment of SNAs is a matter for the individual school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
183. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the role of personal public service numbers in the administration of the water conservation grant; if these numbers will be provided to any third-party company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15011/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo promote sustainable use of water and to enhance water conservation in households, the Department of Social Protection will administer, on behalf of my Department, a €100 water conservation grant for households (principal private dwellings) that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process. It is proposed that the grant will be paid in one instalment to all eligible households from September 2015 and on an annual basis thereafter. The water conservation grant replaces the tax rebate and social protection measures previously announced, as it is a more straightforward means of addressing water issues for all households on equal terms and will reduce households’ outlay on water services both now and in the future. An allocation of €130m for the grant scheme has been provided in my Department’s Estimate for 2015.
My Department, in consultation with the Department of Social Protection, is currently finalising the modalities of the water conservation grant. I will thereafter make Regulations under the Water Services Act 2014 which will provide for the terms and conditions attaching to the grant, including specifying 30 June 2015 as the date by which households will need to have responded to the Irish Water campaign if they are to be eligible for the grant in 2015. All households registered with Irish Water under its application campaign will be contacted directly by the Department of Social Protection from July 2015. The Department of Social Protection will require certain details to process the grant including the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) of the applicant and bank details. Further information on the grant is available at www.watergrant.ie.
184. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of a grant of €3.5 million to Alverno Heights and Alverno Court in Laytown in County Meath, which was set aside under his Department's 2014 social housing investment programme, to carry out a range of measures to improve the standard and quality of the housing stock in both estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14990/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpecific funding of €3.5 million was not set aside for these projects in 2014. However, my Department has worked with Meath County Council recently in undertaking various works in these areas relating to energy efficiency improvements and the remediation of boarded-up social housing units. The options for further improvement works are being examined by the Council and my Department will consider these when they are submitted.
185. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views that a €4,800 water connection fee for a new home in County Galway is excessive; his plans to work with Irish Water to introduce a common fee for the connection of water supplies to all new homes throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15025/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it in accordance with a water charges plan to be approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). Section 22(5) of the Act provides that a water charges plan may provide for charges in respect of the provision of a service connection (within the meaning of the Water Services Act 2007) to or in respect of a premises. In its decision on Irish Water’s Water Charges Plan, published in October 2014, the CER stated that, until it made a decision on Irish Water’s new connection charges, Irish Water should continue to apply the connection fee arrangements that were in place in each local authority on 31 December 2013.
The CER has recently reviewed its 2015 work plan with Irish Water and has published, in its Water Charges Plan Decision Paper of 5 March 2015, the areas that it will be progressing in 2015, which includes the development of Connection Charging Policy. Later this year, the CER will publish a detailed work plan in relation to connection charges and will consult widely as part of that plan.
186. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the amount that has been spent on consultants relating to Government homeless strategies in the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15031/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe only amounts spent on consultants relating to Government homeless strategies for the years in question were in respect of A review of The Way Home: A Strategy to Address Adult Homelessness in Ireland 2008-2013, which was completed in 2012 at a cost of €6,000.
187. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the measures in place to end long-term homelessness by 2016; the investigations that took place in respect of missing the previous targets to end rough sleeping by 2010; if there are recommendations to learn from previous measures; if he will provide moneys to support community organisations offering family and counselling support to families and children experiencing homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15032/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraA review of the then Government’s strategy The Way Home: A Strategy to Address Adult Homelessness in Ireland 2008-2013 was completed in 2012 and it endorsed the fundamentals of the Strategy – a copy is available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/.
The review also informed this Government’s Homelessness Policy Statement, which was published in February 2013 and outlines this Government's aim to end involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. A range of measures are being taken to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households and mobilise the necessary supports in order to deliver on the Government's target by the end of 2016. These measures have been identified in the Government's Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness (May 2014) and in the Action Plan to Address Homelessness (December 2014). Progress in implementing these plans is reported through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The plans and progress reports are also available on my Department's website at the above link.
Tusla is the lead Government Agency for welfare and protection issues relating to families and children. As set out under the Action Plan to Address Homelessness. Tusla is liaising with the Department of Social Protection, Dublin City Council and Focus Ireland in the development of a protocol to ensure that services are fully responsive to the particular protection and welfare needs that might arise for families and children in emergency accommodation.
