Written Answers Nos. 215-224
216. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons in receipt of a grant for third level education in counties Longford and Westmeath in each of the years 2008 to 2014, inclusive. [38484/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe data sought by the Deputy is provided in the attachment.
Student Grant holders Westmeath and Longford 2008-2014
|
County |
2008-09 |
2009-10 |
2010-11 |
2011-12 |
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
|
Westmeath |
1303 |
1567 |
1853 |
1975 |
1875 |
1845 |
1957 |
|
Longford |
656 |
763 |
825 |
916 |
887 |
893 |
938 |
|
Total |
1959 |
2330 |
2678 |
2891 |
2762 |
2738 |
2895 |
217. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children who had access to free school transport in counties Longford and Westmeath in each of the years 2008 to 2014. [38492/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe breakdown of the information on a per County basis, as requested by the Deputy, is not readily available.However, Bus Éireann which operates the School Transport Scheme has provided the following regional information in relation to the number of children who availed of free school transport services in Counties Laois, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath.
|
YEAR |
NO. OF CHILDREN |
|
2008/09 |
2,582 |
|
2009/10 |
2,940 |
|
2010/11 |
3,286 |
|
2011/12 |
4,766 |
|
2012/13 |
5,034 |
|
2013/14 |
5,175 |
|
2014/15 |
4,606 |
Charges for children who are eligible for school transport and who are attending Primary Schools were introduced from the 2011/12 school year.The annual charge is waived for children who are eligible for school transport and who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) and for children who are eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs.
218. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants who were in schools in counties Longford and Westmeath in each of the years 2008 to 2014. [38493/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that in July last, I secured Government approval for an additional 610 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts which were made available for allocation to schools this year to support children with special educational needs with assessed care needs. This builds on the increases of 365 additional SNA posts provided for in last year's budget announcement and the 390 additional SNA posts announced in December 2013.
This brings to 11,940, the total number of SNA posts available for allocation to the end of 2015. This is the highest level of SNA allocation that we have ever had and represents an increase of 11.7% in SNA posts available for allocation to schools since this Government came to office.
From the beginning of September, there are 11,820 whole time equivalent SNA posts available in schools to support children with special educational needs with assessed care needs.These extra posts will ensure that the Government's policy of ensuring that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support.
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 has published details of SNA allocations for schools for September 2015 on its website, which are available to view on a per county basis, including for counties Longford and Westmeath. Details of SNA allocations from 2012 to 2014 are also available on the NCSE website. I will arrange for the Deputy's request for information for earlier years to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
219. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the options that are available to a person (details supplied) in County Cork who was refused a Student Universal Support Ireland grant on appeal, noting that the person was only over the limit by €25; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38506/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, an appeal was considered by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board on 22 September 2015 and the Board's decision issued directly to the appellant. The student was advised of his options in the decision letter. The options are that he may appeal to the High Court on a point of law under Section 21(6) of the Student Support Act 2011 and under the Ombudsman Acts 1980 to 2012. The Ombudsman can examine a complaint from the student if he feels he has been unfairly treated in his dealings with SUSI or the Appeals Board.
220. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will indicate eligibility for a higher education grant for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who is currently attending a third level post-leaving certificate course in Dunboyne in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38515/15]
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 are responding to email queries within a matter of days.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
221. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a student (details supplied) in County Mayo has been refused a special needs assistant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38518/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support, which is 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.
In general, as part of the application process for additional SNA support, schools are required to demonstrate that they have made every effort to manage their current allocation of SNA posts to best effect.
The NCSE has published details of SNA allocations for schools for September 2015 on its website at www.ncse.ie.
Once allocated, the deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. 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. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
I understand that the pupil in question had been attending a school where SNA support is in place. The NCSE has advised my Department that it received an application for additional SNA support on 28 September from the school where the pupil is now enrolled.
The NCSE is currently considering this application and have advised that they will notify the school of its decision regarding the application for additional support as soon as possible.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO while Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available the NCSE website.
222. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills when her Department will release the list of schools to receive funding from the capital spending plan, 2016 to 2021, as part of the programme to replace existing prefabricated school buildings with permanent classrooms and facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38521/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 29 September, 2015 I announced that significant capital funding will be invested in the education system through the Government's €27bn Capital Programme. The intention is to replace all purchased prefabs with permanent accommodation over the lifetime of the programme. Details of the schools are not available at this time.
223. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the refusal of emergency funding to a school (details supplied), given the health and safety implications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38553/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to repair a retaining wall.
As the scope of works is outside the terms of this scheme, the application cannot be considered for funding. The school authority has been informed of this decision. It is, however, open to the school authority to apply for funding under a future Summer Works Scheme. In this regard, I recently announced that there will be a Summer Works Scheme in 2016 and 2017. I also announced that the minor works will be paid later this year. The school can use its minor works grant for the works in question if it deems them to be a priority.
224. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will restore the funding to Traveller education support programmes that was cut over the past year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38596/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's policy in relation to Traveller Education is informed by the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy which was launched in 2006, following wide ranging consultation with Traveller representative groups and other relevant stakeholders.
The principle of inclusion is at the core of the Strategy. The focus of both current and future provision is on the development of an inclusive school environment through the whole school planning process, teaching practice, admissions policies, codes of behaviour and whole school evaluation. In keeping with this principle, additional resources provided in the education system for children are allocated on the basis of identified individual educational need. This includes Traveller children who require additional resources based on need.
My Department continues to spend in the region of €10 million annually on the implementation of the recommendations of the Strategy to complete the transition to full integration of supports for Travellers within the education system.
