Written Answers Nos. 795-810
795. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the correspondence (details supplied) regarding Springboard or Momentum courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20628/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpringboard is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free higher education courses to enable unemployed people to upskill or reskill in areas where there are real, identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities.
Decisions on proposals to be funded are made by an independent panel with industry and educational expertise having regard to published criteria and guidance from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs on current and future skills needs of enterprise.
The evaluation framework for Springboard provides for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of outputs. In June 2014 the first trend analysis evaluation of Springboard was published, presenting outcomes over a three-year period. A second trend analysis was published in December 2014, and a third is being prepared for publication in June 2015.
Overall, feedback on Springboard is very positive: a survey of all graduates 2011-2014 indicates that within two years of completing a Springboard course 60% are employed or self-employed, with progression to employment steadily increasing over time; a scan by the Department of Social Protection indicates that 74% of all Springboard participants 2011-2014 are no longer on the live register.
Momentum was reviewed by an external consultant and the report on the programme was published on the SOLAS web and on the Momentum website. The subsequent programme was enhanced following the recommendations from that report.
The report can be found at http://www.momentumskills.ie/docs/Momentum_evalutation_report.pdf.
796. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when an extension for a current library (details supplied) in County Limerick, which is over capacity, will be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19823/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe needs of the college will be considered in the context of budgetary resources and having regard to competing demands.
797. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take in order to secure an adequate remedy for students of All Hallows College, Dublin 9, such that they may complete the degree courses that they signed up for. [19827/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe position is that the President of All Hallows College contacted my Department in May of last year to advise of its intention to close. All Hallows is a private college and is not an approved institution under the Higher Education Authority (HEA). It does not receive core funding, however, my Department provides grant in lieu of tuition fee funding to the College in respect of three approved undergraduate courses. Funding of some €436,000 for the 2013/14 academic year was allocated to the College in respect of this funding.
My Department does not have a role in the placement of students in any third level institution, however, I welcome the fact that the college has stated that it intends to wind down in a phased basis in order to facilitate as much as possible the completion of students' studies.
798. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the Apprenticeship Council will provide a report on proposals for a new way of developing apprenticeships; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19832/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra799. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made to have training in the hospitality sector included in the redesign of the apprenticeship programme under SOLAS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19833/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 798 and 799 together.
The Apprenticeship Council is required to submit a report to the Minister for Education and Skills, by 31 June 2015, on viable new apprenticeships. To achieve this goal, the Council's first task was to issue a call for proposals from a consortia of industry, education and training providers, to develop new apprenticeships in areas outside the current portfolio of apprenticeship programmes. The Apprenticeship Council received 86 proposals for new apprenticeships from 48 separate organisations. This includes 10 proposals in the tourism and sport sector. To manage the evaluation process in a fair and consistent manner the Apprenticeship Council established an evaluation panel, assisted by an independent process auditor, to evaluate submitted proposals. The evaluation panel is currently in the process of evaluating the submissions.
It should also be noted that in relation to the hospitality sector, SOLAS is currently engaged in the development of a pilot Career Traineeship model of training programme delivery for the hotel sector. This model is being developed in partnership with Education and Training Boards (ETBs) the Irish Hotel Federation, Fáilte Ireland and hoteliers. These pilot training programmes will commence in the last quarter of 2015.
800. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a Student Universal Support Ireland appeal in respect of a person (details supplied). [19852/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe student to which the Deputy refers, recently appealed the decision of the awarding authority to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board (SGAB). The appeal will be heard within the 60 day timeframe set out in the Student Support Act 2011. The decision of the SGAB will be communicated directly to the student in due course.
801. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the significant difficulties faced by fully trained second level teachers in obtaining secure employment; and the steps she will take to convert existing temporary and part-time positions into full-time permanent posts. [19895/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware the 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 on March 27th 2015.
One of the key features of the new procedures is that the qualification period for the granting of an initial Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID) is reduced from a period of continuous employment in excess of three years with the same employer to a period of continuous employment in excess of two years.
The 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.
802. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason it is proposed that a school (details supplied) in Dublin 10 will close down; the measures her Department has taken to resolve the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19902/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is not aware of any plans to close the school to which she refers.
The Deputy may be aware that my Department has agreed to a request from the Patron for a change to fully vertical co-educational status for three national schools in the area in question. The change of status for these schools will take effect from September next. The Patron's office advised the Department that the applications for change of status were made following an intensive consultation process at local school level involving parents, teachers and the Boards of the schools. The Patron also advised that the school to which she refers had indicated that there was no demand for a change in its status. However, the Patron has indicated that the position in the school in question will be kept under review.
803. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the tendering process in respect of a school building project (details supplied) in County Galway will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19925/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project for Clifden Community School is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b - Detailed Design.
The pre-qualification process has taken place and a short list of contractors is being finalised by the Design Team.
It is anticipated that the Design Team will shortly be in a position to issue tender documents to the selected contractors.
804. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the report of the independent facilitator (details supplied) between Carlow Institute of Technology and Waterford Institute of Technology will be published; if she has seen it yet, even though it has gone past its release date; and if she will reconfirm her commitment to a technology university for the south east. [19942/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will aware, Mr Michael Kelly has been leading a process of consultation with stakeholders in the south east.
Given the recent changes in governing authorities in both Carlow IT and Waterford IT and the appointment of a new interim President in Waterford IT in April, I decided to extend the process to allow Mr Kelly time to engage with the new governing authorities and the new interim president. I have not received a report from Mr Kelly but expect him to submit it in the coming weeks.
A Technological University would make a positive contribution to the economic and social development of the South East region and higher education in Ireland more generally. The Government is committed to facilitating this goal.
805. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter raised in correspondence by the principal of a school (details supplied) in County Cork regarding a legacy post issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19961/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, I have recently announced a process for the review of the DEIS Programme. Pending the completion of this process, I have decided to pause the offsetting of legacy posts in DEIS schools for the 2015/16 school year. This decision only applies for the coming school year and is not retrospective.
806. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the National Parents' Council Post Primary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19958/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraYou will be aware that last week the leadership of the two post primary teacher unions, the ASTI and TUI, reached an agreement with me on Junior Cycle reform. Our agreement was set out in our joint document "Junior Cycle Reform: Joint Statement on Principles and Implementation" published last Friday.
I have to acknowledge the support that the National Parents Council Post Primary and the other educational partners gave to me and to the Department during the last two years as we sought a way to introduce the very important reform. Their support and commitment to the reform was very important to me as I strove to obtain an agreed way forward.
Now all our attention will concentrate on the reform and I look forward to the continued support of all the partners, including not only the teacher unions, but especially the parents.
807. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the provision of capital funding by her Department for an extension to the current library at Mary Immaculate College, County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19969/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe needs of the College will be considered in the context of budgetary resources and having regard to competing demands.
808. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the options available to a school (details supplied) in County Mayo to increase its broadband capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19991/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Schools Broadband Access Programme, my Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. A procurement framework involving more providers was put in place in 2012 which ensures that improved solutions are available to schools. The Department is continually working with providers to ensure that where possible improved services are made available to schools.
Under the next mini competition under the current framework the majority of primary schools, including Scoil Iosa, will be offered out this month. Where available and budgetary constraints allow improved solutions will be made available to schools.
The internal network in a school is the responsibility of the school.
809. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the way the national anthem is taught in primary and secondary schools; and any frameworks or guidelines which have been issued to schools by her Department indicating the way the national anthem should be integrated into the curriculum. [20015/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOur primary syllabus in Social, Personal and Health Education requires that each pupil becomes aware of his/her own culture and includes the national flag and anthem among the areas identified. It remains open to any school to encourage its students to learn and sing the anthem, at school events or otherwise.
It is not Departmental policy to impose regulations on schools regarding national expression, so there are no directives or guidelines on the use of the anthem beyond that identified in primary SPHE. This is consistent with government practice in most countries today.
In Ireland, schools are free to incorporate the learning of the anthem within their curricular provision, such as in music or singing lessons, and a number of initiatives in this regard have been given Departmental support. These include the distribution of a CD of the National Children's Choir signing our national anthem to every school some years ago, and the Taoiseach's launch of the Gael Linn 'Gaelbhratach' initiative earlier in 2015. This latter idea promotes the teaching of the national anthem from third class onwards, as part of an overall school approach to the use of Irish in communication.
810. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 549 of 12 May 2015, the reason her Department did not also facilitate the parents of children who attended the two other service providers that existed at that time, in view of the fact that her Department was fully aware of their existence, per departmental records dated 18 June 2007, but instead her Department decided to only offer an agreement to one private commercial organisation exclusively for over five years, enabling that commercial company to expand to more than 16 classes, while the two other service providers ended up closing their services, one of which was a parent-led charity set up because the parents were offered no educational service for their children when they were first diagnosed with autism. [20021/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, where parents of children who are eligible for home tuition have sought alternative arrangements to be put in place for the tuition, my Department responded and facilitated by putting arrangements in place with private providers, nominated by the parents, who provide group tuition to children in a class type setting. Payment in these cases is made directly to the service provider and is calculated on a group rate basis.
The Deputy's question refers to two unnamed facilities and it is unclear to which facilities this question refers. Accordingly it is not possible to respond in respect of these two facilities.
