Written Answers Nos. 489-511
489. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary will have a waiver for spelling, grammar and punctuation in language subjects granted in time for the leaving certificate applied examinations. [5129/16]
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. Full details of the scheme are available from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations.
In view of this I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply.
490. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a project (details supplied) in County Roscommon will go to construction; the reason for the delay in approving it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5136/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of the tender process for the provision of a new School and demolition of the existing building. The tender report for the project was recently submitted to the Department and is currently being reviewed. When the review is completed the Department will be in contact with the school authorities in relation to the further progression of the project.
491. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current status of a school building project (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5137/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, a project to facilitate the amalgamation of two post primary schools at the location in question, is included in the 6 Year Construction Programme that I announced last November and is scheduled to proceed to tender and construction in 2018.
My Department is in ongoing contact with the school authorities in relation to initiating the architectural planning process for the project.
492. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) in County Kerry under the summer works scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5145/16]
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.
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.
It is my intention to publish a list of successful applicants in due course.
493. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of enhancements for schools (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5146/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the first named school referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied has recently submitted an application to my Department for major capital funding. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the application has been considered.
In relation to the second named school, a project for this school is included in the 6 Year Construction Programme and is scheduled to proceed to tender and Construction in 2018. My Department has been in communication with the school in relation to the next steps to be taken to advance the project.
An application for additional accommodation has been received from the third named school and my Department will convey a decision to the school authority when the assessment process has been concluded.
In relation to the fourth named school, I can confirm that a building project for the school is also included in the 6 Year Construction Programme. This necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site and this process has been initiated. My Department will be in contact with the school relating to the project at the appropriate time.
494. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure that a school (details supplied) in County Longford retains its complement of special needs assistants until the end of 2016. [5152/16]
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 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.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
It is important to note that each school's allocation of SNA support can change from year to year and may be increased or decreased as students who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. New students with care needs may, or may not, enrol to replace students who have left, for example, or SNA allocations may be decreased where a child's care needs have diminished over time.
To determine SNA supports for the school year 2016/17, all special schools have been requested to provide all available documentation and details for known new entrants to the NCSE by 27th April.
Having considered all of the applications made for SNA support, the NCSE will advise all schools of their SNA allocation for the 2016/17 school year, in advance of the coming school year.
Details of the mechanism for schools/parents to appeal a decision in relation to the allocation of SNA support by the NCSE are available on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie.
495. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application to the primary staffing appeals board by a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5166/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools are published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board.
The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the March 2016 meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The Appeals Board determined that the application did not satisfy the published criteria as set out in Circular 0007/2016. The school has been notified accordingly.
The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
The published staffing arrangements include the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment for the following September, in this case September 2016. If the school in question is experiencing a rapid increase in enrolment it is open to the school to submit an application to the Primary Allocations Section of the Department for consideration for developing school status.
496. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider favourably an application by a school (details supplied) in County Donegal under the summer works scheme, given that the playground is a health and safety risk and given that it lends itself to all-inclusive play by all children; when she will announce the list of schools that will benefit from the summer works programme in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5169/16]
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. 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. It is my intention to publish a list of successful applicants in due course.
498. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the data reports available that are generated by computer software by her Department and by Bus Éireann in relation to school transport, in list format, further to the recent replies and in particular on 2 February 2016 in relation to the number of applications and approvals for school transport when she stated that the information was not readily available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5189/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraReports are generated from time to time by Bus Éireann as and when required by the Department for the ongoing efficient management of the School Transport Scheme. These reports may relate to various aspects of the administration and/or operation of services provided under the Scheme. Reports are not always available in the format requested because it is not always necessary to record the information for operating purposes in a way that may be desired for other reasons. The number of ineligible applicants is recorded for example but it is not necessary for the efficient administration of services to break this number down further, i.e. into those residing nearer to another school and/or those residing less than the requisite distance for school transport eligibility to their nearest school.
Bus Éireann has advised that it is anticipated that the new School Transport IT system may afford the potential to produce certain statistical information in different formats going forward.
499. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number and name of schools where demand is double or close to double the available intake capacity; if she will allocate additional teaching resources for the 2016-17 academic year to help target this underprovision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5220/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraTeacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department's website. The Deputy will be aware that I have made provision in Budget 2016 for some 2,260 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools next year. These posts will provide for an improvement in the staffing schedules at primary and post primary levels, enhance the leadership and management roles of deputy principals at post-primary level by reducing their teaching time, an improvement to the scheme of release time for principal teachers at primary level and additional resource posts to meet special education needs. At primary level there will be a one point improvement to the primary staffing schedule to be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. At primary level lower thresholds apply for DEIS Band 1 schools. At post-primary level the schedule will improve by 0.3 points, from 19:1 to 18.7:1 for the 2016/17 school year. When the allocation for guidance was brought within quota under Budget 2012 measures, DEIS schools were protected from the change by providing for a 18.25:1 allocation compared with the general 19:1 allocation. The position of DEIS schools will be further enhanced for the 2016/17 school year by a change to an allocation on the basis of 17.95:1. The staffing arrangements also include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the appeals criteria are set out in the published staffing arrangements. The staffing and redeployment arrangements for all schools for the 2016/17 school year were published early in 2016. The final staffing position for 2016/17 for all schools will ultimately not be known until the Autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed and any appeals to the Staffing Appeals Boards will have been considered.
500. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to allocate funds to repair school playgrounds (details supplied) in County Kildare which have been identified for repair since 2012; if she is aware that funding for such repairs was previously allocated, but then withdrawn; if she is aware that the condition of both playground areas has deteriorated significantly to date, representing a serious safety risk to children and staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5221/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that an extension to the first named school referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy was completed in recent years and I understand that all snags were remedied to the school's satisfaction. My Department has since provided a grant to the school to widen footpaths and install ramps and has no record of funding having been allocated to the school and then being withdrawn. In the case of the second named school, an application was received under the Emergency Works Scheme for works to the playground in 2015. This application was refused as it was outside the scope of the Scheme. It was suggested to the school that it could consider submitting an application for the works under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2016/2017 and it has now done so. 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. It is my intention to publish a list of successful applicants in due course. For any urgent works, such as those referred to by the Deputy, it is open to both schools to use their Minor Works Grant, which was paid to the schools last November, to carry out the most urgently needed works at the schools in full or in part as that grant permits.
502. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for emergency works to a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5235/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder my Department's Emergency Works Grant Scheme, the school in question applied for a range of works including ramps, railings, automatic front doors, a designated wheelchair car parking spot and widened footpaths to enable a special needs pupil to attend the school. Funding was approved for these works last February. In addition, funding for an enlarged classroom and a resource room was recently approved under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. The school has been notified of this matter.
503. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the plans in place to ensure adequate and acceptable accommodation for Rochestown Educate Together national school for the term beginning September 2016; if she will split the campus over two sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5280/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department officials continue to work closely with the school authorities to ensure sufficient suitable accommodation is in place for Douglas/Rochestown Educate Together National School for the 2016/2017 school year. In this regard, my Department has recently lodged a planning application to provide additional accommodation for the school. It is envisaged that, subject to planning permission being granted, the school will continue to operate from its current location, while also operate from accommodation on a nearby property.
504. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will secure a permanent site for Rochestown Educate Together national school; her medium-term plans for the development of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5281/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, the building project for Douglas Rochestown Educate Together National school is included in the 6 year construction programme that I announced last November. Officials from my Department have worked closely with officials from Cork County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites to procure a suitable site for this building project. A site acquisition process is under way at present.
Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. I can, however, assure the Deputy that the acquisition of a new site for the school is a priority for the Department and the school authorities will be informed of the location for the school as soon as it is possible to do so. When the site acquisition has been completed, the project will be progressed to architectural planning.
505. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a special needs assistant for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5288/16]
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. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014. Circular 0030/2014 sets out the role of professional reports and recommendations by medical/other professionals in the context of consideration of applications for SNA support by the NCSE. The Circular explains that, while professional reports provide valuable assistance to education providers in identifying a diagnosis or identifying appropriate interventions, responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools to support pupils with special educational needs resides with the NCSE through the SENO.
It should also be noted that SNA allocations are not made to individual children, but are made to schools to support the care needs of children with assessed special educational needs. The deployment of SNA support and organisation of resource teaching support within schools is a matter for individual schools to manage, taking into account each child's individual needs. 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 school referred to in the Deputy's question currently has an allocation of four SNAs. Should the school wish to make an application for additional SNA support, they may make such an application to the NCSE. The NCSE recently asked all schools to submit applications for SNA support for the 2016/17 school year, including for any new applications, by 29th February, 2016.
The NCSE will also continue to process applications for access to SNA support which are received after this deadline. Such applications will be processed in the order in which the applications have been received. Having considered the applications received, the NCSE will advise all schools of their SNA allocations in advance of the coming school year. All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs. Details of the manner in which a school or parent may appeal the level of SNA allocation which has been made to support a child in school, to the NCSE, are set out on the NCSE website.
Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that, for children who, for a number of reasons have been unable to attend school due to a significant medical condition, my Department may provide a compensatory educational service through the Home Tuition scheme. In this regard I understand that, in addition to this pupil's reduced attendance in school, funding is being provided through the Home Tuition scheme for the pupil referred to by the Deputy, in order to support this pupil's re-integration back in to school.
506. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will re-open the autism class in a school (details supplied) in County Donegal in September 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5291/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism, should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with Special Educational Needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The NCSE will continue to monitor and review the requirement for special class places in particular areas and has capacity to establish such new special classes where necessary subject to the willingness of schools to open classes. As the matter referred to in this question relates to a specific school, I will arrange to have the Deputy's request referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
507. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills when construction work will begin on a school (details supplied) in Dublin 9; the timeframe for completion; the steps she will take to improve facilities while construction is ongoing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5308/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school referred to by the Deputy is included on the six year programme announced on 17th November 2015 and is listed to proceed to tender and construction in 2017. A Project Manager and Design Team have been appointed for the project and it is currently at Stage 1 of Architectural Planning, which is the initial sketch design stage. In relation to the question of improved facilities while construction is ongoing, it is open to the school to use any remaining funds from their Minor Works Grant for improvements or school maintenance required. Also for works of an urgent nature, it is open to the school authorities to consider if the works in question may qualify for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme. Details of the Scheme, together with an application form for grant assistance, can be accessed on my Department's website.
508. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the primary school places demand projections that her Department is currently working to, in respect of Dublin 11 for each of the school years from 2016/2017; if she has determined the reason there for an apparent shortage of school places in Finglas east; and her plans to deal with the surge in demand for places at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 and to meet demand for school places in the general area. [5312/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn identifying the requirement for additional school places, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The system uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and information from the Department's own databases. Using this information, my Department determines where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. The area in which the school, referred to by the Deputy, is located adjoins a number of the Department's school planning areas which have experienced recent population growth. Two new primary schools are due to open in these areas this September (in the Cabra/Phibsboro school planning area and in the Drumcondra/Marino school planning area). In addition, in November 2015 I announced that a further new primary school will open in the adjoining school planning area of Pelletstown/Scribblestown in September 2017. This new school provision, in addition to existing school expansions in these areas, will alleviate pressure in the area referred to by the Deputy. My Department is keeping the demographic data for the area under review to take account of updated enrolment and child benefit data and also of the impact of the planned capacity increases. In relation to the school referred to by the Deputy, my Department has not received any application for additional accommodation from that school.
509. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the commencement date and capacity for an autism unit for a school (details supplied) in Dublin 9. [5314/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with special educational needs, including autism. It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish special classes in schools in various geographical areas as required and where an identified need for such classes exists. In this regard, where schools indicate that they will open a special class, the SENO will sanction the establishment of this class. A full list of special classes is available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie. As the matter referred to in this question relates to an individual school, I have referred this question to the NCSE for their consideration and direct reply to the Deputy.
510. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the general issue regarding schools which are prone to flooding or break-ins and consequently face very high insurance bills; the assistance she is providing in this regard; and the way in which schools can meet these costs, especially in disadvantaged areas. [5317/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for the payment of insurance to cover employers and public liability, and property damage rests with the Board of Management of primary schools, voluntary secondary schools and with the ETBs in respect of schools operated by them. The cost of insurance is met from the grants paid by my Department and in the case of the ETBs from the annual non-pay allocation. With regard to Community and Comprehensive schools, the State provides a general indemnity to the authorities of these schools in lieu of their taking out insurance cover against liabilities which may arise. I do recognise the need to improve funding for primary and secondary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. In the last budget, I secured additional funding for education and I am determined to continue pressing the case for increased investment so that our schools are better resourced.
511. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the adjacent and non-adjacent rate of grants; her views on whether students who reside under 45 kilometres from where they intend to study are experiencing exceptional hardship due to the 45 kilometres clause (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5325/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraStudents in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available for the Access Office in the third level institution attended. The current qualifying distance for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant, at 45km, takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis. There are no plans at present to revise the distance criteria.
