Written Answers Nos. 305 - 321
305. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if transport by taxi or another system will be offered to a person (details supplied) to transport a child who has special needs to school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3701/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for transport where they are attending the nearest recognised school that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs.
In this regard, the family should liaise with the school authorities and the Special Educational Needs Organiser.
306. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person who did not directly receive money through the redress scheme but subsequently won a case against a solicitor for not filling out the application on time can apply to Caranua; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3471/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 provides that those former residents who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or equivalent Court awards or settlements are eligible to apply to Caranua. This approach was taken having regard to the maximum funds available of €110 million and a potential pool of some 15,000 applicants.
Decisions regarding individual applications, including decisions regarding the eligibility of applicants, are a matter for Caranua and neither I nor my Department have any role in the process. Accordingly, I would suggest that this person contacts Caranua to clarify exactly what their eligibility status is.
Former residents who are not eligible for assistance from Caranua may be entitled to avail of services provided by other statutory bodies. Survivors can, for example, avail of the National Counselling Service operated by the Health Service Executive which offers counselling and psychotherapy services to those who have experienced trauma and abuse in childhood with priority given to survivors of institutional abuse.
307. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide adequate resource supports to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3474/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that, at present the child to whom the Deputy has referred is in receipt of Home Tuition under the Department's Home tuition scheme. This provision has been approved on the basis that the child currently does not have a school placement. I am advised that a placement will be available from September 2016.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body with particular functions including planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs.
The NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is also responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes as required. All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. The parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
308. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of one, two, three and four-teacher schools that have lost a teacher, by county and in each year since 2011. [3482/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data relating to schools, including data relating to teaching posts on an individual school basis. The most recent published information relates to the 2014/15 school year. Data in relation to the 2015/16 school year will be published later in the current school year.
309. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding that has been allocated to a school (details supplied) in County Cork over the past five years; if she will facilitate the increasing number of students attending this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3486/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation, book grant and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment.
The amount of funding provided by my Department to the school referred to by the Deputy from 2011 to 2015 is as follows:
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2011 |
€36,588 |
|
2012 |
€33,950 |
|
2013 |
€40,545 |
|
2014 |
€44,498 |
|
2015 |
€43,871 |
These amounts do not include the salaries of Teachers and Special Needs Assistants who are paid on a payroll operated by my Department.
310. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will introduce standardised reading texts to determine the need for readers for leaving certificate examinations to ensure equality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3489/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations (RACE).
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to the Deputy.
311. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a major extension for a school (details supplied) in County Galway has not gone to tender; when it will go to tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3523/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project for the School to which the Deputy refers is one of the research strands in the programme for the introduction of Nearly Zero Energy School Buildings. Nearly zero-energy means a building that has a very high energy performance. The research and design stages for this school are substantially complete and the tender documentation is currently being finalised.
312. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for additional accommodation by a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3528/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for additional school accommodation.
Further details relevant to the application were requested from the school. On receipt of that information the application can be considered further with a decision conveyed to the school authority in due course.
313. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if and when she will provide the required funding to the appropriate third level institutions in County Dublin willing to proceed with the bachelor of engineering technology (Ord) fire engineering, level 8 programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3538/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUniversities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. The management of their academic affairs, including the selection and delivery of courses are matters for individual institutions. All universities and institutes of technology receive a block grant from the Higher Education Authority and it is a matter for each institution to determine how it is allocated internally. Accordingly, I have no function in relation to the issue raised by the Deputy.
314. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the new unit for a school (details supplied) in County Carlow, including the reason one special education needs officer will sign the National Council for Special Education's forms for placement and another needs officer attached to the school will not to do so and is awaiting a directive from the council. [3541/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) will be engaging with schools for 2016/17 school year in order to plan for, and to open, new special classes, in order to ensure there are sufficient placements available to meet demand in an area.
Although a SENO has been assigned to the school in question the responsibility for the staffing of the school remains currently with my Department.
The SENO will collaborate with my Department on the staffing requirements for the school.
If the requirement for a new class is identified by the SENO my Department has capacity to establish a new class, if necessary, subject to the readiness of the school to open an additional class.
315. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an application by a school (details supplied) in County Kerry under the summer works scheme will be successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3542/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school, in question, under the Summer Works Scheme for the works referred to. Commensurate with the level of funding available for the Scheme, applications including that from the school concerned will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (0055/2015), is available on my Department's website, www.education.ie.
I expect to be in a position to announce successful applicants at the end of February/early March 2016
316. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide funding to complete emergency works required for a national school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3546/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWG) for repairs to a retaining wall.
As the scope of works was considered to be outside the terms of this scheme, the application was refused.
The school submitted an appeal and this is currently under consideration. The Board of Management will be notified as soon as a decision has been made.
317. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding she allocated and the funding spent on capital projects and other initiatives in the constituencies of Louth and Meath-East, by project and initiative, completion date and cost, for the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3559/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraTotal capital funding expended in County Louth and County Meath in primary and post primary schools for the years 2010 to 2015 are provided in the following table. Details of expenditure on a constituency basis are only available on receipt of school names and roll numbers.
|
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
|
Louth |
€20,728,749 |
€20,490,346 |
€16,003,027 |
€12,285,573 |
€15,740,325 |
€25,345,106 |
|
Meath |
€22,845,324 |
€21,993,042 |
€19,922,823 |
€41,258,814 |
€24,072,252 |
€31,951,876 |
318. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the proposed building project for the Holy Family School, Cootehill, County Cavan, including when it will proceed to the next stage; when the tendering process will commence and be completed; when construction will commence; the funding to be allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3603/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 8th December 2015 my Department officials met with the school authority and their design team to determine what issues, including the decant requirements, remain to be addressed in the design stages and the most effective means of addressing those issues. The BoM and their Design Team are required to revert to the Department with proposals for consideration.
This project was included in the six year programme announced on 17th November and is scheduled to proceed to construction in 2016. Information in relation to the estimated cost of projects is not released prior to tender stage as this is considered commercially sensitive information.
319. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for new permanent accommodation by a school (details supplied) in County Cavan; when this project will proceed to the next stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3604/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning, Stage 2a - Developed Design Stage.
The Stage 2a Report has recently been received and is currently being reviewed by my Department. Following this review, and subject to no issues arising, the project will be authorised to progress to Stage 2b – Detailed Design Stage, which includes the applications for Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents and prequalification of contractors.
This project was included in the six year programme announced on 17th November and is scheduled to proceed to construction in 2016.
320. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the increase or decrease in the number of special needs assistants employed in the State since 2011. [3647/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra321. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the increase or decrease in the number of special needs assistants employed in County Meath from 2011 to the present. [3648/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 321 together. Arising from the economic downturn, the number of SNAs available for allocation was capped in September 2011 at 10,575. In December 2013, this cap was revised to 10,745 posts and was revised again in December 2014 to 10,965 posts.
In Budget 2015, a further 365 SNA posts were provided to the end of 2015, bringing the total number of SNA posts to 11,330. This was again increased by 610 posts in July 2015 bringing the total number of posts available to the NCSE for allocation for the current school year to 11,940.
Budget 2016 provided an additional 100 posts to meet additional demand arising from January to June 2016, bringing the total number of SNAs available for allocation to the end of this school year to 12,040.
This is the highest level of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support than ever before, which will ensure that children with special educational needs can continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner appropriate to their needs.
Information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of Special Needs Assistants allocated in Co Meath from 2012/13 school year to date is available at http://ncse.ie/statistics. I have arranged for NCSE to provide information in respect of the 2011/12 school year directly to the Deputy.
