Written Answers Nos. 77-82
77. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm the nearest school to the home of a student on Sherkin Island, Baltimore, County Cork that a student may attend to qualify under the remote area boarding grant; and if he will outline the boarding arrangements at the school which under the terms of the grant must provide free education to the student. [32328/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the Remote Area Boarding Grant is to give pupils who are educationally disadvantaged because of their remoteness from schools an opportunity to attend school on the same basis as other pupils not so disadvantaged.
Pupils resident on off-shore islands such as Sherkin Island that do not have a school providing suitable free second-level education may also qualify for assistance under the scheme.
The detailed arrangements are set out in Circular 0016/2016 that was published in February 2016 on the Department's website.
A list of schools including boarding schools providing free second-level education is available on my Department's website.
78. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will resolve an issue in the case of a person (details supplied) who cannot enrol in a school without a PPSN. [32342/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of an Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year. Further information on the Section 29 appeals process is available on the Department's website www.education.ie.
The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS can be contacted at 01-7718500.
While my Department has adopted the PPSN as the unique identifier for post-primary students the absence of PPSN at the time when enrolment is being sought should not by itself prevent the enrolment of the student in a school. Where a PPSN is obtained by a student subsequent to enrolment it should be provided to the school.
The issuing of PPSN numbers is a matter for the Department of Social Protection.
79. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if there is any mechanism his Department can use to intervene in cases such as that of a person (details supplied) so as to ensure that housing legislation enacted by the Oireachtas is adhered to by Sligo County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32165/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the case in question involves the eligibility of the person concerned for social housing support from Sligo County Council.
Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Decisions on the eligibility of specific persons for social housing support are a matter solely for the housing authority concerned in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations made thereunder.
My Department has provided detailed guidance on the application of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations, to which all local authorities are required to have regard in applying the provisions of the Regulations. The guidance is available at:
www.housingagency.ie/Our-Publications/Housing-for-People-with-a-Disability/Housing-Needs-Assessment-Guidance-notes-Revised-30.aspx.
Section 6 of the 2009 Act specifically provides that the Minster's power to issue policy directions and guidelines to housing authorities in relation to their housing functions is not to be construed as enabling him to exercise any power or control in relation to any individual case with which a housing authority is or may be concerned. I am therefore precluded from intervening in individual housing cases.
Where a household is dissatisfied with the level of service by its local authority, it is open to that household to make a complaint under the authority's customer service complaints procedure. Following that complaint, if a household still considers that it has been adversely affected by a local authority's action, or lack of action, which it considers unfair or unreasonable, it is open to the household to make a complaint to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman's office may be contacted by e-mail at ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie or by telephone at 01-6395600 or LoCall 1890 223030.
80. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of grants and the total amount of funding awarded in 2016 to date under the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability, broken down by local authority area; the number of grants and the total amount of funding awarded in 2016 to date under the housing aid for older people scheme, broken down by local authority area; the number of grants and the total amount of funding awarded in 2016 to date under the mobility aids grant scheme, broken down by local authority area; the anticipated funding for the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability in 2017; the anticipated funding for the housing aid for older people scheme in 2017; and the anticipated funding for the mobility aids grant scheme in 2017. [32256/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation is set out in the table in respect of the funding my Department has provided to date in 2016 to local authorities under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, as well as the number of grants concerned. The funding figures represent the 80% provision for these grants that comes from the exchequer; a further 20% is provided from the resources of the local authorities.
I intend to increase the funding for the schemes for 2017 in the context of Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. Local authorities will receive an overall allocation for the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability and, as is the case in every year, the apportionment of this overall allocation across the three schemes will be a matter for each authority.
|
Housing Aid for Older People Scheme |
Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability |
Mobility Aids Housing Grant Scheme |
||||||
|
Local Authority |
No. |
Value |
No. |
Value |
No. |
Value |
Total No. |
Total Value |
|
Carlow |
63 |
€206,188 |
25 |
€194,915 |
33 |
€132,817 |
121 |
€533,920 |
|
Cavan |
57 |
€260,439 |
23 |
€242,768 |
22 |
€87,568 |
102 |
€590,775 |
|
Clare |
72 |
€325,404 |
35 |
€438,248 |
38 |
€139,636 |
145 |
€903,288 |
|
Cork County |
253 |
€963,219 |
96 |
€990,590 |
90 |
€363,260 |
439 |
€2,317,069 |
|
Donegal |
40 |
€119,663 |
21 |
€76,761 |
6 |
€12,423 |
67 |
€208,847 |
|
DLR |
12 |
€48,261 |
71 |
€453,403 |
27 |
€100,800 |
110 |
€602,464 |
|
Fingal |
42 |
€222,974 |
97 |
€516,288 |
26 |
€94,431 |
165 |
€833,693 |
|
Galway Co |
59 |
€238,413 |
15 |
€124,778 |
35 |
€101,545 |
109 |
€464,736 |
|
Kerry |
79 |
€186,361 |
48 |
€331,147 |
80 |
€283,485 |
207 |
€800,993 |
|
Kildare |
21 |
€84,132 |
62 |
€350,637 |
0 |
0 |
83 |
€434,769 |
|
Kilkenny |
132 |
€522,065 |
28 |
€225,304 |
16 |
€65,489 |
176 |
€812,858 |
|
Laois |
17 |
€49,480 |
10 |
€59,400 |
38 |
€112,760 |
65 |
€221,640 |
|
Leitrim |
21 |
€66,624 |
10 |
€80,098 |
8 |
€19,450 |
39 |
€166,172 |
|
Limerick |
179 |
€527,068 |
77 |
€553,058 |
132 |
€435,973 |
388 |
€1,516,099 |
|
Longford |
43 |
€149,226 |
18 |
€80,366 |
33 |
€99,882 |
94 |
€329,474 |
|
Louth |
0 |
0 |
7 |
€121,955 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
€121,955 |
|
Mayo |
196 |
€670,049 |
38 |
€268,136 |
115 |
€256,286 |
349 |
€1,194,471 |
|
Meath |
67 |
€325,214 |
35 |
€327,938 |
34 |
€141,903 |
136 |
€795,055 |
|
Monaghan |
23 |
€68,540 |
12 |
€103,427 |
15 |
€67,160 |
50 |
€239,127 |
|
Offaly |
36 |
€160,971 |
25 |
€268,413 |
4 |
€11,928 |
65 |
€441,312 |
|
Roscommon |
22 |
€112,402 |
43 |
€271,361 |
0 |
0 |
65 |
€383,763 |
|
Sligo |
93 |
€367,339 |
19 |
€103,154 |
16 |
€46,704 |
128 |
€517,197 |
|
South Dublin |
12 |
€46,050 |
64 |
€461,233 |
37 |
€144,342 |
113 |
€651,625 |
|
Tipperary |
54 |
€249,367 |
89 |
€698,567 |
31 |
€118,113 |
174 |
€1,066,047 |
|
Waterford |
37 |
€167,224 |
17 |
€125,604 |
59 |
€236,946 |
113 |
€529,774 |
|
Westmeath |
49 |
€169,852 |
38 |
€334,742 |
19 |
€62,800 |
106 |
€567,394 |
|
Wexford |
130 |
€434,844 |
13 |
€182,082 |
82 |
€320,678 |
225 |
€937,604 |
|
Wicklow |
22 |
€63,152 |
15 |
€188,908 |
34 |
€112,016 |
71 |
€364,076 |
|
Cork City |
92 |
€304,584 |
60 |
€357,343 |
10 |
€43,938 |
162 |
€705,865 |
|
Dublin City |
44 |
€120,750 |
508 |
€3,164,970 |
30 |
€249,744 |
582 |
€3,535,464 |
|
Galway City |
56 |
€171,111 |
45 |
€202,815 |
16 |
€49,622 |
117 |
€423,548 |
|
Totals |
2023 |
€7,400,966 |
1664 |
€11,898,409 |
1086 |
€3,911,699 |
4773 |
€23,211,074 |
81. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the safeguards and monitoring in place to protect the health of persons living near farms that spread sludge on their lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32263/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe spreading of sewage sludge is subject to a range of regulatory controls under waste management, water protection, planning and other applicable legislation.
Persons seeking to spread sewage sludge are required, inter alia, under waste management legislation to:
- ensure that sludge is not used except in accordance with a nutrient management plan in line with the Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations 1998;
- satisfy themselves as to whether a Waste Licence, Permit or Certificate of Registration is also required for their proposed spreading activity and apply to the relevant authority where necessary;
- apply to the Local Authority in whose area the sludge is to be stored, as required under the Waste Management (Registration of Sewage Sludge Facility) Regulations 2010;
- supply the information required for the Sludge Register to the Local Authority, in a format and frequency required by the Local Authority; and
- ensure that vehicles transporting the waste hold a Waste Collection Permit as required under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007.
There is also an onus on a person to investigate whether the activity of spreading or the storage of sewage sludge requires planning permission.
All land-spreading, including the spreading of sewage sludge, is required to be carried out in accordance with the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014. The Regulations are designed to provide additional protection to waters from agricultural sources and include measures such as:
- set periods when the land spreading of fertilisers are prohibited;
- limits on the land application of fertilisers;
- set distances from water bodies including boreholes, springs and wells for the abstraction of water used for human consumption;
- storage requirements; and
- record keeping.
In addition to the above, local authorities require that the spreading of sewage sludge is subject to compliance with relevant codes of practice such as the Code of Good Practice for the Use of Biosolids in Agriculture. This Code has been designed to ensure that the use of biosolids in agriculture will, inter alia, not pose a risk to human, animal or plant health; avoid water and air pollution; and minimise public inconvenience. In this regard, the Code includes guidelines on the minimum buffer zones to be observed when spreading biosolids in the vicinity of particular structures or features, such as sensitive buildings, dwellings, domestic wells, lakes or small watercourses.
82. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a domiciliary care allowance by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32182/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 17th October 2016, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
