Written Answers Nos. 478 - 500
478. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will advise further on schools submitting applications for resources for special needs assistants in March 2015; and if the level of resources needed, based on assessment, will be met for the upcoming school year. [27034/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra479. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons for the delay in processing applications from schools for resources for special needs assistants for the upcoming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27035/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra480. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills when schools will be notified regarding the allocation of resources for special needs assistants in respect of the upcoming school year. [27036/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 478 to 480, inclusive, together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria by are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
On conclusion of this process, the NCSE evaluated the level of SNAs required to meet the needs of schools for the coming year and advised the Department on the quantum of SNAs that would need to be provided to meet this need.
This information was received by the Department on 15th June and my Department is currently working to finalise its consideration of this as quickly as possible.
Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16 will be available on the NCSE website on completion of this process.
481. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there has been a delay in announcing the allocation of special needs assistants in respect of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11; if the allocation of assistants has already been decided for this school; when this decision will be communicated to the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27040/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria by are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
On conclusion of this process, the NCSE evaluated the level of SNAs required to meet the needs of schools for the coming year and advised the Department on the quantum of SNAs that would need to be provided to meet this need.
This information was received by the Department on 15th June and my Department is currently working to finalise its consideration of this as quickly as possible.
Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16, including the school referred to by the Deputy, will be available on the NCSE website on completion of this process.
482. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for the funds held in the capital reserves of the Longford-Westmeath Education and Training Board, following the disposal of the old school at Castlepollard, County Westmeath, a number of years ago; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27083/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that provision has already been made to account for the majority of the funds realised from the sale of the property in question. My Department is currently engaged with Longford Westmeath ETB in relation to the utilisation of the balance of the funds involved for necessary capital works.
483. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when information regarding the allocation of special needs assistants is likely to become available for the forthcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27084/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria by are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
On conclusion of this process, the NCSE evaluated the level of SNAs required to meet the needs of schools for the coming year and advised the Department on the quantum of SNAs that would need to be provided to meet this need.
This information was received by the Department on 15th June and my Department is currently working to finalise its consideration of this as quickly as possible.
Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16 will be available on the NCSE website on completion of this process.
484. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the school bus from Cullen to a school (details supplied) in County Cork is not running for the coming school year. [27119/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest Post Primary Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.
Bus Éireann has advised that, to date, the number of applicants for school transport for the 2015/16 school year has fallen below the minimum number required to retain the existing service.
Families of eligible children, for whom there is no school transport service available, are eligible for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.
The terms of the scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
485. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the campaign to secure recognition for Irish sign language; if her Department is the lead Department in that regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27126/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department, through its Post-Primary Languages Initiative, has developed a specification for a short course in Irish Sign Language (ISL) which will be available as part of the new Junior Cycle.
In this short course the emphasis is on developing communication skills in ISL at level A1 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). This short course develops students' ability to understand ISL in live and in recorded situations, to produce the language and to interact with other signers in a simple way and on familiar topics.
Students will be actively involved in monitoring their own progress and derive enjoyment and confidence from communicating in a new language. They will also develop awareness and skills in relation to language learning through comparing and contrasting patterns in ISL and in other languages they know. They become better language learners through identifying and developing their own language learning strategies.
In a multicultural society it is important that young people have opportunity to learn about other cultures, appreciate similarities and differences and learn to observe, reflect and suspend judgement when discovering the new culture and reflecting back on their own. This course, now available at junior cycle, offers opportunities to do this.
A link to the short course is available at www.languagesinitiative.ie/images/ISL/MFL_Gen_Spec_ISL_28_May__Short_Course.pdf.
486. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide figures, in tabular form, on the funding allocated to each of the further education and training colleges from September 2011 to September 2014. [27133/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold records on allocations of funding to individual Further Education and Training Colleges.
Funding for further education programmes was previously allocated by my Department to VECs and the further allocation of these resources to colleges/centres under their remit was a matter for each VEC. FAS/SOLAS were previously responsible for the operation of Training Centres and these centres transferred to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) during 2014.
SOLAS now has responsibility for providing funding for further education and training programmes to ETBs. This funding is allocated through an annual service planning process.
My Department directly funds the teaching costs and part of the capitation grants of the Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme along with the second level schools programme.
Financial allocations are made to the ETBs on the basis of the financial year rather than the academic year, and are paid as a block grant, divided between pay and non-pay. ETBs manage their budgets and further distribute the allocations they receive from SOLAS in line with its priorities and identified needs.
487. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there is a delay in the allocation of special needs assistants to primary schools, given that concerned persons are unaware of whether they will be sanctioned for next year, even though the summer term is upon us. [27138/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria by are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
On conclusion of this process, the NCSE evaluated the level of SNAs required to meet the needs of schools for the coming year and advised the Department on the quantum of SNAs that would need to be provided to meet this need.
This information was received by the Department on 15th June and my Department is currently working to finalise its consideration of this as quickly as possible.
Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16 will be available on the NCSE website on completion of this process.
488. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the allocation of special needs assistants for the 2015-16 school year has not yet been published; her views on whether it would be beneficial for school managers to be made aware of their allocations before the close of business of the 2014-15 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27197/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria by are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
On conclusion of this process, the NCSE evaluated the level of SNAs required to meet the needs of schools for the coming year and advised the Department on the quantum of SNAs that would need to be provided to meet this need.
This information was received by the Department on 15th June and my Department is currently working to finalise its consideration of this as quickly as possible.
Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16 will be available on the NCSE website on completion of this process.
489. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if students from the Urris area of Clonmany in County Donegal who commenced at a school (details supplied) in September 2012, or subsequently, but who are now being informed by Bus Éireann that they reside closer to secondary schools in Buncrana, will have to pay the concessionary school transport fare to continue to avail of school transport to Carndonagh; if the concessionary fare will be waived to allow them to complete their education at the school, given that they are only now being informed that her Department regards them as residing closer to Buncrana; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27198/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport eligibility is determined under the terms of the relevant School Transport Scheme.
It is important that the terms of the Scheme are applied equitably, nationally.
Where an error in relation to eligibility is discovered, school transport eligibility is retained by children for the remainder of the school year in which the error is detected. Thereafter, the terms of the scheme must be applied.
490. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made on applications for special needs assistants in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27200/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria by are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2015/16 school year by 18th March 2015. The NCSE also continued to accept applications after this date in recognition that enrolments may not have been completed or where assessments were not completed.
On conclusion of this process, the NCSE evaluated the level of SNAs required to meet the needs of schools for the coming year and advised the Department on the quantum of SNAs that would need to be provided to meet this need.
This information was received by the Department on 15th June and my Department is currently working to finalise its consideration of this as quickly as possible.
Details of SNA allocations to schools for 2015/16, including the school referred to by the Deputy, will be available on the NCSE website on completion of this process.
491. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills with regard to a report (details supplied) on the allegations made by a whistleblower with regard to corporate income tax, if she will confirm the tender process by which the company was selected; the cost of the report; if the full report will be published; the cost of the legal advice in respect of the report and any other matter relative to the allegations; if the terms of reference for the report will be published; the name of the legal advisers; the persons or group of advisers who drafted the terms of reference for the report; if she will provide the list of those interviewed as part of the process of compiling the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27201/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware the reports commissioned by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) were on foot of anonymous allegations made in relation to practices and procedures at the Institute.
In order to ensure the independence of the review process and to ensure that the review was thorough, objective and comprehensive, CIT's Audit Committee sought approval from the Governing Body to take legal advice on the matter. Arthur Cox, Solicitors, were subsequently appointed to give advice on the approach to be taken. Based on the advice received, CIT appointed independent consultants to review the allegations. The consultants were instructed by Arthur Cox, in consultation with CIT's Audit Committee, regarding the terms for the review to be undertaken. The cost to CIT of this legal advice was €34,181.73, with additional legal advice sought from O'Flynn Exhams Solrs. amounting to €9,461.53.
Arthur Cox legal advisors issued tenders to four companies. Tenders were received and the successful consultants were appointed on the basis of being the most competitive tender. Given the nature of the allegations select members of staff liaised with the consultants carrying out the review and facilitated requests for information and documentation as required. The cost of the consultant's reports was €21,175.
On the basis of concerns expressed by CIT that the publication of the reports could potentially damage the reputation of CIT and the individuals and organisations named in the reports, the Institute submitted redacted copies of the reports to my Department and the HEA. In the interest of confidentiality CIT are reluctant to make public the names of the people who were consulted as part of the review process.
My Department has since sent a copy of the reports to the Public Accounts Committee who have been in correspondence with my Department in relation to the matter. Sections 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 of the reports set out the scope of work undertaken by the consultants in conducting the reviews.
492. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Dublin will be considered for inclusion under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools scheme, as part of the upcoming review of the scheme for disadvantaged schools, given that all other schools in the area have been included under the scheme. [27222/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, I have recently commenced a process to renew the DEIS programme.
Pending the outcome of this work, which will be ongoing during the next school year, I do not intend to make any changes to the current programme, including the addition of further schools.
493. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if extra funds have been made available for her Department to comply with planning conditions set down by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and upheld by An Bord Pleanála regarding the planning application for the building of a new school for a co-educational day school (details supplied) in County Dublin. [27223/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Major Building Project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Safety Certification, Disability Access Certification and the preparation of tender documentation. An appeal was made to An Bord Pleanála regarding the decision to grant Planning Permission. In February 2015 An Bord Pleanála upheld the decision to grant Planning Permission with conditions.
Following the decision by An Bord Pleanála, the Design Team has been instructed to incorporate the cost of the planning conditions into a brief change request to be submitted to my Department prior to making their stage 2(b) submission which includes the completion of tender documents. This is to ensure cost certainty prior to approval to proceed to tender.
The responsibility to ensure the most cost-effective solution rests with the design team. Assuming that the design team meets that responsibility then the revisions to the design required to comply with the planning conditions will be funded by my Department.
494. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide additional funding to schools to offset the extra costs associated with Circular 33/2015, as electronic systems for the recording of pupils' attendance are an additional financial burden on schools, and given that roll books and so on were provided free by her Department until now; the amount her Department has spent on providing roll books and registers to schools for each of the past ten years; and the amount her Department plans to save over the next year due to schools that use electronic attendance systems no longer having to use roll books and so on. [27230/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraCircular 33/2015, which was published earlier this year, provides that primary schools that have populated all their pupil enrolment data on the Primary Online Database (POD) in accordance with the requirements set out by the Department's Statistics Section will have the option to use electronic attendance records with effect from the commencement of the 2015/16 school year subject to such electronic system meeting certain minimum requirements as set out in Appendix 1 of this Circular.
This is not a mandatory requirement. It is a matter for the Board of Management of each school to decide whether to continue maintaining the Leabhar Rolla (Roll Book) in hard copy or to maintain the record of daily attendance in electronic format. Whichever system is adopted should be used consistently throughout all the classes in the school. Schools that opt to maintain the Leabhar Rolla in hard copy can continue to request these books from the Department.
At this stage, it is not possible to estimate how many schools will opt to maintain the record of daily attendance in electronic format.
Circular 33/2015 also confirms that primary schools that have populated all their pupil enrolment data on POD in accordance with the requirements set out by the Department's Statistics Section no longer need to maintain the Clárleabhar (Register) with effect from the commencement of the 2015/16 school year. POD contains the same information and it is not necessary for schools to maintain a duplicate record in the Clárleabhar.
The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the last ten years is not readily available within my Department and would take an inordinate amount of time to compile. Given that the books in question are procured by my Department through a public procurement process, information in relation to the costs in question would also be commercially sensitive.
495. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the concerns of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24 at the absence of proper security as a result of the withdrawal of the community employment scheme; her views on the need to provide resources and advice to the school authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27238/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides capitation funding to all recognised primary schools for general running costs and funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services.
Circular 40/2009 states that this funding may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
Decisions on the need or cost of security for schools is a matter for each individual Board of Management.
496. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to develop a secondary school in the Firhouse-Ballycullen area of Tallaght, Dublin 24, given the future demand in this area; if she will point out to the relevant officials that South Dublin County Council's new development plan will include a recommendation that no such future school development will take place in an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27239/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that South Dublin County Council's new draft development plan 2016-2022 is due to be made available from Monday, 13th July, 2015.
My Department is currently examining the extent and location of additional post-primary places that will be needed on a nationwide basis from 2017 onwards. This will include an examination of the Firhouse/Ballycullen area, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
497. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the application (details supplied) to provide preschool services for children with autism in September 2015; if she will expedite a decision given the very short timeframe to report on the delay in making this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27244/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, direct payment arrangements are put in place where parents/guardians of children who are eligible for home tuition seek alternative arrangements and my Department responds to, and facilitates the parents/guardians, by putting in place agreements with private pre-school providers which provide group tuition to children in a class type setting.
My Department has been in contact with the facility referred to by the Deputy in recent days. Given that the eligibility of children for home tuition has yet to be determined for the coming school year, it is not possible at this stage to finalise an arrangement with the facility. I expect that this process will be finalised in the coming weeks.
498. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of a change to the school transport scheme (details supplied); and that this change means many large lower-income areas in Galway city are now excluded from the grant. [27255/15]
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 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Where there is more than one school in a Post Primary Education Centre, eligibility is determined by measuring the distance from a child's home address to a central measuring point (CMP).
CMPs are a feature of the school transport scheme and have assisted in the smooth operation of services for many years. The use of CMPs benefits families by ensuring that children of the same family, who are attending different schools in the same education centre, are eligible for school transport provided they satisfy the distance criterion to the CMP rather than the individual school.
In general, where queries arise regarding distance, recourse is had to the fundamental principle of the scheme – eligibility for school transport is determined by the distance children reside from their nearest school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann.
Should families have queries regarding distance eligibility for school transport they should contact their local Bus Éireann office by phone at 091-537530 or by e-mail at schools.galway@buseireann.ie.
499. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the options available to a family (details supplied) in County Cork who are just under the distance to qualify for free school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27256/15]
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 the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of a conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and the payment of the annual charge of €100 per child. This annual charge is subject to a maximum of €220 per family and can be paid in two instalments in July and December.
500. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the learning support provided for a pupil (details supplied) in County Meath to ensure the support reaches the 30 minutes per day recommended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27260/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that all schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, including Specific Learning Disability (SLD), of which Dyscalculia is one such Specific Learning Disability.
All mainstream Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources under the General Allocation Model (GAM) to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, including SLDs. It is a matter for individual schools to use their professional judgement to identify pupils who will receive this support and to use the resources available to the school to intervene at the appropriate level with such pupils. Schools are supported in this regard by the National Educational Psychological Services.
My Department has provided guidelines for schools in relation to the utilisation of additional teaching resources which have been allocated to them for pupils with high incidence special educational needs. These include Circular SpEd 02/05 and the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS) Continuum of Support Guidelines.
It is a matter for schools to then monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance. The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is decided and managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs.
I would advise, in the first instance, that if the parents of the child have specific concerns about her educational progress or are dissatisfied with the manner in which the resources or facilities which have been provided to support their child's education are being applied in school, they should raise this matter directly with their school Principal or the Board of Management of the school, with a view to raising these concerns with the assigned NEPS psychologist.
