Written Answers Nos. 648-677
648. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills when she will approve stage 2A, including a revised budget, for a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and when she will make a decision on a proposal to increase the standard specification from the design team, including increased fees, to ensure pupils are in the school by September 2017. [5511/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matters to which the Deputy refers are currently under consideration in my Department. The project is being delivered by the local authority and as soon as a decision has been taken the local authority will be notified directly.
649. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the contractor appointed for a development (details supplied) in County Cork. [5534/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe contract for the development of the school to which the Deputy refers has been awarded to JJ Rhatigan and Co., Wolfe Tone House, Fr Griffin Road, Galway.
650. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills when work will commence on the replacement building for Clifden Community School; if contracts have been signed; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5535/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraScoil Phobail Community School, Clifden, Co Galway is at an advanced stage of the tender process for the provision of a new School and demolition of the existing building. The supplementary tender report for the project was recently submitted to the Department and is currently being reviewed. When the review is complete the Department will be in contact with the school authorities in relation to the further progression of the project.
651. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's role in ensuring that primary and secondary schools have appropriate policies to manage and protect children who have food allergies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5555/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school.
It is a matter for each individual school to devise its own policies around the types of food that are permissible on the school premises and such policies should be driven by the needs and welfare of the pupils. In that regard, it is important that all schools request parents to ensure that the school is made aware of any medical condition suffered by any pupil attending.
Where the school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a medical condition suffered by one or more pupils, it may be possible for the school management authority, working in conjunction with parents, teachers and children to put preventative measures in place to lessen the possibility of any difficulties arising or to ensure that, if a pupil suffers from an illness requiring medication, appropriate treatment is available. This is a matter for each individual school having regard to the specific circumstances concerned. There is no requirement on schools to report to my Department on such arrangements.
652. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills to investigate the provision of specialised assistance for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [5558/16]
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 to him.
653. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide further information on the statement of the chief executive of Bus Éireann last year that Bus Éireann made €4 million profit from school transport and that this money was given to Bus Éireann to buy new school transport buses but spent on school transport information and technology development; the amount of profit from school buses, the expenditure on new buses and the amount spent on information and technology projects in each year since 2010 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5562/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra654. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average cost of the maintenance of buses used for school transport by Bus Éireann in tabular form; the average cost of the maintenance of buses per bus, per year; the number of buses being charged for maintenance; the average number of buses actually being operated on routes each day; the average percentage of buses being charged for as opposed to the number of buses actually operating the routes; the average number of kilometres run by the buses; the average market value of the buses referred to; the average age of the buses in the columns; the written down net value after depreciation on a year-on-year basis; the average cost of maintenance of the said buses on a per kilometre basis; and the maintenance charges paid to Bus Éireann for school transport, exclusive of the management charges, for each of the financial years 2005 to 2015. [5568/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 653 and 654 together.
Bus Éireann has advised that the level of detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available.
In this regard I have asked Bus Éireann to forward the information directly to the Deputy.
655. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay in having an appointment made for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [5584/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
SNAs are not allocated to individual pupils but to schools, as a school based resource, in the same manner that teachers are allocated to schools. The NCSE allocates a quantum of SNA support for each school, taking into account the care needs of all of the qualifying children enrolled in the school, and on the basis of the assessed care needs of all of the children concerned, rather than solely by reference to a pupil's disability categorisation.
In circumstances where a child has qualified for access to SNA support and a parent feels that their child is not receiving sufficient support in school, the parent should raise this concern in the first instance with the School Principal or the School Board of Management.
School management authorities have responsibility for the appointment, management and deployment of SNAs in their school and, therefore, have the potential to adjust or moderate the level of support which is being given to a child in the school.
656. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills to investigate the difficulties which have arisen in a school (details supplied) in County Cork. [5585/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe mechanism to apply for funding for the type of works to which the Deputy refers is the Summer Works Scheme. My Department has no record of an application from the school in question under the Summer Works Scheme 2016/17.
The school may use its minor works grant to carry out the works in full or on a phased basis as that grant permits, if the school considers them to be a priority.
657. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has approved an application by a school (details supplied) in County Cork under the summer works scheme. [5586/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra658. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has approved an application for an additional classroom by a school (details supplied) in County Cork. [5588/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 657 and 658 together.
I 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.
I can also confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for the provision of additional school accommodation.
This application is currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been concluded.
659. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when she will advance a school project (details supplied) in County Carlow to the next stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5594/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning – Stage 2b, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert, Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. All relevant statutory approvals have been obtained and the Design Team are currently working on the preparation of the tender documentation.
Once the Stage 2b Tender documentation is submitted by the design team, my Department will carry out its review and subject to no issues arising, will revert directly to the school regarding progression of the project to tender stage.
660. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills to grant an application for funding for an additional classroom by a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5598/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the school to which he refers has submitted an application for additional classroom accommodation. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
661. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills when her summer works scheme will re-open for applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5599/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy may be aware that applications for the 2016 and 2017 Summer Works Scheme (SWS) closed on 2 December last.
Commensurate with the level of funding available for the Scheme, applications are being 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.
662. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the names, dates and cost of reports on school transport; the names of the consultants and experts who provided the reports; the date the tender contract notice was published for each report and any other payments made to the said parties, directly or indirectly, during the past six years in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5600/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department did not commission any new consultants' or experts' reports on school transport in the past six years.
Details of all consultancy payments by the Department for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.
Details for the years 2015 and 2016 will be published in due course.
663. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills to sanction approval for a new special school premises (details supplied) in County Cork. [5605/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFull details of the process for new school establishment are published on my Department's website. New schools are established to meet demographic demand. Once the Department has identified the need for a new school, its location and projected enrolment level, a process is conducted to allow for different patrons/bodies to be considered as the patron of the new school.
In general, the Department's policy is to integrate children with special educational needs into the mainstream school system wherever possible. Many of our schools have special education units included within them. However, special schools are also necessary to meet the educational needs of pupils whose needs cannot be adequately catered for in a mainstream school.
The need to establish a new special school would be identified by the National Council for Special Education in conjunction with the Department. My Department is currently aware that there is an emerging need for Special School placement options in County Cork and consideration of how this need can be met is currently underway.
664. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) in County Cork under the summer works scheme 2016. [5606/16]
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.
665. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills to liaise with a school (details supplied) in County Cork to enable a school development to proceed. [5612/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department submitted a planning application for the school to which the Deputy refers to the Planning Authority in June 2015 and a decision to grant was received in February 2016 from the Planning Authority.
An appeal of this decision to grant was lodged to An Bord Pleanála on 1st March by a third party. A response to the appeal was submitted by the Department to ABP on 24th March. The Department must await the outcome of this appeal which is due for decision on the 4th July 2016.
666. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide assistance and advice to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick, given the person's circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5615/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of the student grant scheme, my Department provides maintenance grants to undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses in the State or in other E.U. Member States. Applicants are required to meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means.
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 within the required timeframe.
Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie.
667. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amounts paid under the Caranua scheme; and the range of awards in terms of the amounts paid to single persons. [5619/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraCaranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse.
As Caranua has statutory responsibility, I have asked my officials to forward your query to Caranua for a direct reply to you.
668. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Skills to examine the lack of primary school places for the Naas area in County Kildare for the upcoming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5623/16]
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.
As the Deputy may be aware a new primary school opened in 2010 and a new post-primary school opened in 2015, providing increased capacity to the existing school provision, in order to meet the needs of the Naas school planning area. It is envisaged that this level of provision will be sufficient to meet the needs of this area in the medium term, and as with the other school planning areas nationwide, the demographic data for the area will be kept under ongoing review by my Department officials.
669. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare regarding autism unit places in schools in County Kildare. [5626/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe enrolment of a child to a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school.
However, parents/guardians who may need advice or are experiencing difficulties in locating a school placement should contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) who can assist in identifying an appropriate educational placement for their child. Contact details are available on www.ncse.ie.
The NCSE have also published a Guide for Parents and Guardians of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs on Choosing a School. This guide is also available at www.ncse.ie.
The SENO can also advise parents in relation to supports which may be available to support children with special educational needs, including special transport arrangements which may be made available.
I have arranged for the Deputy's request for specific detail in relation to placement availability in the area referred to, to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
670. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of her discussions with the developer of the community centre and sports hall at Adamstown community college in County Dublin; if she has reached an agreement with the training board and the developer; and when the construction will commence. [5635/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe developer has confirmed that a project manager and architect have been appointed to oversee the development of the sports facilities and the appointment of other design team members is underway.
Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board have arranged a meeting with the developer to discuss the formulation of preliminary designs based on the standard requirements for educational PE facilities in line with Department of Education and Skills guidelines. A programme for delivery of the project forms part of the current discussions.
Once preliminary designs are available, arrangements will be made to consult with the relevant school representatives prior to planning submissions being made and it is anticipated that details of the programme for delivery will also be available at that point.
The developer has indicated that the overall Planning Scheme requirement for community facilities will form part of their plans. Officials from South Dublin County Council are involved in consultations with the developer in relation to this element.
671. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a nurse for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [5661/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department received an application for school transport for the child referred to by the Deputy on the 22nd March 2016.
The child in question is eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs. In this regard Bus Éireann has been requested to report on the transport arrangements necessary to accommodate this child.
The family will be advised of the position as soon as the report from Bus Éireann is received and considered.
My Department also allocates funding to schools, for the employment of escorts to accompany children who are eligible for school transport and whose care and safety needs are such as to require the support of an escort.
The provision of health care services, such as nurse-provided care, is a matter for the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health.
672. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills , further to Parliamentary Question No. 417 of 18 September 2012, why Bus Éireann, as her agent, did not comply annually with European Union public procurement law obligations by publishing all contract award notices in either the Official Journal of the European Union or eTenders for all the school transport routes awarded by it on behalf of her Department since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5662/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn order to comply annually with European Union public procurement law obligations Bus Éireann did publish a list of awards for the First Call for Competition for 2011, 2013, 2014 & 2015 on www.etenders.gov.ie. The list of awards for 2012 was omitted in error but has now been uploaded to the eTenders website and is available.
673. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills to sanction an additional class for a school (details supplied ) in County Dublin, given that over 46 children who meet the eligibility category enrolment criteria for the school have not been granted a place for September 2016, and that other schools in the area are similarly oversubscribed. [5673/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the school referred to has recently applied to my Department for capital funding to replace existing prefabs and to provide four additional Special Education rooms and a General Purpose room. The application is currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority once the assessment process is completed.
The school in question sought additional accommodation in recent years to cater for a 7th class of junior infants. The school was advised that the Department was not in a position to accede to the school's request at that time given the spare capacity in other schools of the same ethos serving the area.
It is important that school size is monitored and that a balance is preserved among all schools in catchment areas to ensure that one school is not expanding at the expense or the viability of another school. This may sometimes result in children not being offered a place in their school of first choice. My Department continues to monitor the position to ensure that schools in the area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places.
674. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the dangerous condition of windows at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 9 which have been blown in on windy days because of their age and poor condition; and how she plans to assist the school in meeting the cost of correcting this significant issue. [5686/16]
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.
675. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the resource services for all primary pupils with Down's syndrome; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5688/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraPending the development of a new Resource Teaching allocation model for schools, I held a number of meetings with Down Syndrome Ireland and with parents of children with Down syndrome last year.
Following these discussions, I agreed to review the educational provision for children with Down syndrome, who are in the Mild General Learning Disability category and who do not qualify for Low Incidence allocations which are made to schools by the National Council for Special Education.
In March 2015, I announced the introduction of an interim measure to give some certainty for children with Down syndromes in relation to their teaching allocations, until a new model is in place.
Provision was made for the National Council for Special Educational Needs to make additional allocations of 2.5 Resource Teaching hours per week to schools, in respect of any child with Down syndrome, currently not eligible for Low Incidence resource teaching hours.
The allocation of 2.5 hours per child reflects the allocation rates for children in the mild general learning difficulty range, including those with Down syndrome, prior to the introduction of generalised allocations for schools.
This measure was provided in recognition of the fact that children with Down syndrome experience a cluster of difficulties relating to this syndrome, in addition to general learning difficulties, including speech and language developmental delays.
It was intended that this would address a central concern parents had, that children with Down syndrome with a Mild General Learning Difficulty did not have adequate support or certainty of the support they would receive, under the General Allocation schemes, as schools have many competing demands in this area.
The NCSE recommended the introduction of a new resource allocation model, which it had contended would overcome difficulties potentially affecting all children with mild general learning disabilities, including children with Down syndrome.
This measure has therefore been introduced pending the introduction of the new resource allocation model recommended by the NCSE.
The interim allocations will remain in place until such time as the proposed new model for allocating teaching supports to children with special education needs comes into force. Allocations to schools for children with Down syndrome in the Low incidence disability categories will also continue to be made until any new model is introduced.
676. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address the pay deficit for newly qualified teachers vis-à-vis their longer-serving counterparts; if she will implement a payment equality process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5693/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra722. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Education and Skills to accede to demands from teaching unions for equal pay for new entrants to the teaching profession to avoid the prospect of industrial action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6114/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra729. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to restore equal pay scales for new teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6222/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 676, 722, 729 together.
As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. The previous Government decided to reduce the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades (including teachers) by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011. This decision also required that such new entrants would start on the first point of the applicable salary scale, which in the case of teachers had the effect of reducing their starting pay by a further 4-5%. Later in 2011, the Government placed a cap on the overall level of qualification allowances that could be earned by teachers.
Subsequently in 2012, following the public service-wide review of allowances, the Government withdrew qualification allowances for new teachers altogether. However, the Government partially compensated for this by deciding that new entrant teachers would henceforth commence on a new salary scale which had a starting point higher than the starting point of the old scale. Overall, the removal of qualification allowances had the effect of further reducing the pay of new entrant teachers by between 5 and 7 percent.
The measures above – which applied to new entrants only and which were in addition to the pay reductions imposed on public servants generally - were implemented at a time of extraordinarily difficult financial and budgetary circumstances for the State. It is estimated that some 6,700 teachers who entered the profession since 2011 have been affected by the measures.
The Haddington Road Agreement re-aligned the pay scale for teachers who entered teaching between 1 January 2011 and 31 January 2012 with that of pre-2011 entrants. An improved pay scale for post-1 February 2012 entrants was also agreed and implemented under the terms of that Agreement. The Lansdowne Road Agreement will begin the process of restoring the reductions to public service pay which were implemented over recent years. The flat-rate increases contained in the Agreement are proportionately more favourable to new entrants to teaching (who are lower on the pay scale) than to longer serving teachers.
677. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills to investigate the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5695/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximise positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment.
This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
I would advise that if there are concerns in relation to the educational development of the student referred to in the Deputy's question these should be raised, in the first instance, with the the Principal of the school he is attending, with a view to Principal discussing the situation with the assigned NEPS psychologist.
