Tuesday, 17 Jan 2017

Written Answers Nos. 400-419

National Positive Ageing Strategy

Ceisteanna (400, 401, 402)

Catherine Martin

Ceist:

400. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that responsibility for delivering objective 1.2.1 of the national positive ageing strategy relating to supporting gradual retirement for older workers is assigned to his Department; the progress made by his Department in delivering this objective; the work completed to date; and the contact there has been with other Departments or State bodies towards achieving this objective. [41815/16]

Catherine Martin

Ceist:

401. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that responsibility for delivering objective 1.2.3 of the national positive ageing strategy relating to eliminating barriers to continued learning for older persons is assigned to his Department; the progress made by his Department in delivering this objective; the work completed to date; and the contact there has been with other Departments or State bodies towards achieving this objective. [41816/16]

Catherine Martin

Ceist:

402. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that responsibility for delivering objective 1.2.4 of the national positive ageing strategy relating to supporting intergenerational educational programmes is assigned to his Department; the progress made by his Department in delivering this objective; the work completed to date; and the contact there has been with other Departments or State bodies towards achieving this objective. [41817/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 400 to 402, inclusive, together.

Objective 1.2 of the National Positive Ageing Strategy assigns responsibility to my Department to promote access to a wide range of opportunities for continued learning and education for older people.

Within the further education and training (FET) sector there is a range of flexible high quality programmes on offer to meet the needs of all learners, including older learners, to enable the development of new skills and to support personal development and wellbeing.

Active inclusion is one of five strategic goals underpinning the FET Strategy 2014-2019 which seeks to enable every citizen to fully participate in society.  FET programmes can be full or part time and are primarily delivered or contracted by the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in a wide range of settings nationwide, including community colleges, further education colleges, adult education centres and training centres.  They are also provided through community and voluntary groups, commercial training providers and in workplaces.

There are over 300,000 beneficiaries of FET programmes annually. The launch last year of  the new website, FETCH.ie provides prospective learners with information on over 4,000 FET programmes being provided throughout the country.

The FET Strategy also incorporates the FET adult literacy strategy which includes a range of actions to improve adult literacy and numeracy skills and includes actions to raise awareness on provision, and to broaden access routes and also the range of provision including distance and blended learning.

Recognising the importance of lifelong learning the National Skills Strategy 2025 has set a target to increasing participation rates amongst adults to 10% in the medium-term and to 15% by 2025.  My Department will continue to work with the SOLAS, the ETBs and other Government Departments and agencies to support the increased participation of adult learners of all ages in education and training.

Proposed Legislation

Ceisteanna (403, 404)

John Lahart

Ceist:

403. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the planned protection of enrolled learners in qualifications and quality assurance (amendment) Bill will provide for a bias for academic bonding over financial bonding in the context of learner protection; if so, whether the Bill will stipulate that where providers choose academic bonding over financial bonding, this non-regulated solution to learner protection should be recorded by the provider as a contingency liability in company accounts, as defined in financial reporting standard 102; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41843/16]

John Lahart

Ceist:

404. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will bring forward the draft protection of enrolled learners in qualifications and quality assurance (amendment) Bill; if a public consultation will occur in advance of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41844/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 404 together.

The General Scheme of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Amendment) Bill is currently being prepared by my Department. The purpose of this Bill is to address some issues that are impeding Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) from fulfilling its intended responsibilities in certain areas.

The General Scheme contains new proposals for the protection of enrolled learners. These proposals include options that will enable QQI to further develop and implement comprehensive and workable policies for the protection of enrolled learners. QQI held two consultation sessions for providers on these new proposals on 18th and 25th October 2016.

It is the intention that the General Scheme of the Bill will be submitted to Government for approval shortly.

Schools Building Projects

Ceisteanna (405)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

405. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will assess documentation relating to a school (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41891/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving an application from the school for capital funding for the works referred to in the details supplied. The relevant application form may be accessed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. In that context, the assessment of further applications from the school for capital funding, at this time, must be considered in the context of the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the provision of essential classroom accommodation to meet demographic demand.

In the details supplied by the Deputy, there is reference to works that the school wish to have undertaken outside of the vested school site, including road safety measures and the availability of a Lolipop attendant. My Department has no function in this area. These are matters that the school may wish to take up directly with the local authority.

School Funding

Ceisteanna (406)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

406. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline in tabular form all funding announcements made by him or by his Department for projects in County Mayo since January 2015; the details of each project; the status of the project at 31 December 2016; the amount of funding drawn down at 31 December 2016; and the reason for the delay in the project or funding draw down. [1057/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that details of all school capital projects including projects in Co Mayo referred to by the Deputy, that have been approved by my Department since January 2015 under the Additional Accommodation scheme, Summer Works scheme and Emergency Works scheme may be viewed on my Department's website, www.education.ie, and this is updated regularly.

The capital projects approved under these schemes have been devolved to the individual school authorities for delivery. It is a central tenet of the devolved method that responsibility for the management and delivery of the projects rests with the individual school authorities. The progression of these projects is therefore a matter for the schools and their design teams. In the circumstances, my Department would not be aware of delays arising for these projects. In relation to the funding of projects that are currently ongoing, the Deputy will appreciate that due to commercial sensitivities, it is not possible to provide individual project funding details at this time.

In relation to major school capital projects, I wish to advise the Deputy that there are 10 school projects contained in my Department's Construction Programme. Details of the projects concerned are set out in the table. As with the devolved projects, it is also not possible in the context of commercial sensitivities, to provide individual project funding details at this time.

Mayo	91461C	Ballyhaunis CS	Post Primary	In Construction
Mayo	20230F	Scoil Phadraig NS, Westport	Primary	In Construction
Mayo	64660F	Sancta Maria College, Louisburg	Primary	Gone to tender
Mayo	07054L	Scoil Naomh Bríd, Culleens	Primary	At Stage 2A
Mayo	19375B	St Brid's Special National School, Castlebar	Special School	At Brief Stage
Mayo	64590K	St. Joseph's Secondary School, Castlebar	Post Primary	At   Brief Stage
Mayo	76334I	St. Joseph's Community College, Charlestown	Post Primary	At   Brief Stage
Mayo	08302J	Holy Trinity NS, Westport	Primary	At Brief Stage
Mayo	64520M	St. Marys Secondary School, Ballina	Post Primary	Stage 2A
Mayo	20275E	Scoil Iosa, Ballina	Primary	At Brief Stage

Garda Vetting of Personnel

Ceisteanna (407)

Fiona O'Loughlin

Ceist:

407. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans to streamline the system for vetting primary school special needs assistants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1088/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

Since the introduction in 2006 of the non-statutory Garda vetting arrangements the Teaching Council has played a central role in the vetting of registered teachers both for the purposes of registration with the Council and as a conduit for school employers for the purposes of the vetting of registered teachers for employment.

Under the non-statutory vetting arrangements, vetting of non-teaching staff (such as Special Needs Assistants (SNAs)) and others was conducted via the relevant diocesan office or school management body which acted as the conduit for schools for this purpose. In the case of ETB schools, vetting of such persons was conducted via the relevant ETB.

In April 2016, the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) which put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable persons.

The Vetting Act applies not just to schools but to any relevant organisation that employs, contracts, permits or places a person in relevant work with children or vulnerable persons.  The Vetting Act provides that vetting is conducted by the National Vetting Bureau on foot of an application by a relevant organisation that is registered with it.  The vetting legislation and the vetting procedures operated by the National Vetting Bureau fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice and Equality.

When the vetting requirements were commenced last April, my Department issued circular 0031/2016 which set out the statutory vetting requirements applicable to schools along with the practical arrangements in place to support the vetting procedures.  A Frequently Asked Questions document was also published by my Department to assist schools with queries in respect of the circular.

At the same time, I commenced the vetting related provisions of the Teaching Council (Amendment) Act, 2015 which, inter alia, enabled the Teaching Council to put in place a streamlined mechanism for school employers to meet the statutory vetting requirements in respect of registered teachers.  The existence of the Teaching Council, as a statutory body with a statutory role in the registration of registered teachers, has enabled my Department to bring forward the relevant legislative provisions under the Teaching Council Amendment Act 2015 which have  allowed for such a streamlined mechanism to be put in place in the case of registered teachers.  However, it is not possible for my Department to put in place similar legislative arrangements in respect of non-teaching staff.

Under the new statutory vetting procedures, the vetting of Ss and other non-teaching staff continues to be conducted via the relevant diocesan office or school management body as the relevant conduit organisation for the vetting of Ss and other non-teaching staff employed by schools. In the case of ETB schools the relevant ETB is the relevant organisation for such vetting. My Department understands that the majority of these bodies are now using the National Vetting Bureau's electronic vetting facility.

Educational Disadvantage

Ceisteanna (408)

Danny Healy-Rae

Ceist:

408. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will receive DEIS status from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1096/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

As the Deputy may be  aware, a process to review the DEIS Programme began last year and is now nearing completion.  It is my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion in the coming weeks.

The review process is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, the potential for innovation within and between schools and its scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and Agencies, in order to improve effectiveness.

The review process includes the development of a  new assessment framework using centrally held CSO and DES data for the identification of schools for inclusion in a new Programme.  The number of schools to receive supports under a new School Support Programme will be determined by this new identification process, which will assess all schools in the country, including the school mentioned by the Deputy.  Schools will not be required to submit an application for assessment as the methodology being applied involves the use of centrally held data already available to my Department.

Implementation of actions arising from the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion will begin in the 2017/18 school year, and will be a continuing theme in our wider Annual Action Plan for Education.

Further information on the DEIS Review process is available on the Department's website at http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/.

Home Tuition Scheme Provision

Ceisteanna (409)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

409. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will approve home tutoring for a person (details supplied). [1107/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department operates a Home Tuition Grant Scheme for children, other than those with special education needs, who do not have a school place, are without the offer of a school place and for whom a school place is being actively sought. The purpose of this Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards provision of a compensatory educational service for children who do not have a school place. Application forms for this Home Tuition Grant Scheme are available from the local Educational Welfare Officer of the Child and Family Agency.

The Child and Family Agency offer a support service to parents/guardians to ensure that every child can attend school regularly. Contact details for the relevant regional Educational Welfare Service are as follows: Educational Welfare Service, Child and Family Agency, Unit 19 Sandyfort Business Centre, Grealishtown, Bohermore, Galway, phone [phone].

No application for Home Tuition has been received in my Department in respect of the child referred to by the Deputy. Home Tuition is not generally provided in situations where a child has a school place.

Departmental Records

Ceisteanna (410)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

410. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the cost per year for the past three years for the storage and archiving of his Department's files and records at off-site locations by third party companies and at State-owned storage facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1115/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The costs involved in renting off-site storage for the Department's records is a matter for the Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of the Department in relation to the rental of off-site storage.

The figures in the table refer to the cost per year (inclusive of VAT), for the past three years, for archiving the Department's records which include the cost of transferring files to the off-site storage location, retrieval/return costs and the purchase of new crates.

Year	Cost
2016	€70,263.75 (to date)
2015	€67,625.40
2014	€70,563.74

Information and Communications Technology

Ceisteanna (411)

Bobby Aylward

Ceist:

411. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans to formulate and implement a universal policy to ensure that students who are enduring extended absences from the classroom have access to daily lessons and homework assignments through an online platform or integrated system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1157/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school.

Ultimately it is a matter for each individual school to determine which particular measures are most suited to its individual circumstances and to how the school concerned organises teaching and learning. It is also a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy. In keeping with good practice, the process of drafting a homework policy should involve consultation with teachers, parents and students.

While my Department, through the Professional Development Services for Teachers (Technology in Education), provides advice and supports to schools on the use of ICT in teaching and learning, the development of an online platform or integrated system for the specified purpose is a matter for the individual schools themselves.

The use of digital resources by teachers and students in schools is increasing. While conventional textbooks are still widely used, a number of schools have introduced or are considering introducing e-books and other digital resources to enhance students' work in school and at home.

As the Deputy may be aware my Department administers a number of Home Tuition Grant Schemes. One of the grant schemes provides a compensatory educational service for children, who for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school.

Schools Building Projects

Ceisteanna (412)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

412. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1162/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Department has not identified a future education requirement for the building in question. In that regard, as the building is owned by the school's Patron, it is a matter for the Patron to determine the future use of the building in question.

School Accommodation Provision

Ceisteanna (413)

Bobby Aylward

Ceist:

413. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 27 September 2016 to outline the position regarding an application for temporary accommodation in respect of a school (details supplied), in view of the fact that no response has been forthcoming since the application was initially lodged in August 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1190/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department expects to be in a position to convey a decision to the school in question on its application for additional accommodation shortly.

Third Level Staff Recruitment

Ceisteanna (414)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

414. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the reason a position (details supplied) has not gone through the PAS competition process, in view of the fact that this happened on the previous occasion; if his attention has been drawn to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1202/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

Universities and institutes of technology, as autonomous institutions under the terms of the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Acts respectively, are responsible for the day to day management of their own affairs, including matters relating to the recruitment of staff.

Therefore the filling of particular posts within institutions is a matter for the institutions themselves and, for that reason, neither my Department nor the Higher Education Authority have a function in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy.

Educational Disadvantage

Ceisteanna (415)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

415. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the status of an application for a DEIS scheme in respect of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1214/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

As the Deputy may be aware, a process to review the DEIS Programme began last year and is now nearing completion.  It is my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion in the coming weeks.

The review process is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, the potential for innovation within and between schools and its scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and Agencies, in order to improve effectiveness.

The review process includes the development of a  new assessment framework using centrally held CSO and DES data for the identification of schools for inclusion in a new Programme.  The number of schools to receive supports under a new School Support Programme will be determined by this new identification process, which will assess all schools in the country, including the school mentioned by the Deputy.  Schools will not be required to submit an application for assessment as the methodology being applied involves the use of centrally held data already available to my Department.

Implementation of actions arising from the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion will begin in the 2017/18 school year, and will be a continuing theme in our wider Annual Action Plan for Education.

Further information on the DEIS Review process is available on the Department's website at http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/.

Departmental Staff Data

Ceisteanna (416)

David Cullinane

Ceist:

416. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the number of full-time equivalent Civil Service workers in gross income ranges (details supplied) in his Department for each of the years 2007 to 2015. [1223/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I have set out in tabular format the number of full time equivalent civil service workers in the salary band range requested by the Deputy.

The data in the table sets out the number of staff with an active record on my Department's human resource system for each year requested. It includes staff on secondment into my Department but it does not include staff on secondment out of my department, staff on career break or other leave without pay for example carer's leave or special leave.

Income category - €0 - €30,000, €30,000 - €40,000, €40,000 - €50,000, €50,000 - €60,000, €60,000 - €70,000, €70,000 - €80,000, €80,000 - €90,000, €90,000 - €100,000, €100,000 - €125,000, €125,000 - €150,000, Over €150,000

Salary Band Range	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
€0 - €30,000	257.4	172.5	110.2	105.0	83.1	63.2	54.9	64.9	73.1
€30,000 - €40,000	272.5	320.1	317.5	320.1	312.5	304.6	287.0	278.9	286.6
€40,000 - €50,000	277.2	243.6	225.6	272.9	265.6	260.7	268.7	270.8	259.8
€50,000 - €60,000	124.0	159.2	178.6	161.2	178.8	168.5	156.9	148.2	148.4
€60,000 - €70,000	41.1	72.6	65.0	53.6	37.0	38.0	54.8	61.8	84.0
€70,000 - €80,000	88.7	62.2	61.7	116.2	112.2	109.1	166.8	166.1	163.8
€80,000 - €90,000	186.7	156.7	159.5	191.1	201.2	202.3	161.9	149.8	145.1
€90,000 - €100,00	74.7	161.2	142.8	73.0	75.5	83.5	63.1	60.8	59.8
€100,000 - €125,000	30.5	38.0	41.8	20.8	20.7	17.8	5.8	5.0	4.0
€125,000 - €150,000	6.0	4.0	3.0	8.0	8.0	8.0	9.0	7.0	7.0
€150,000 and Over	2.0	6.0	6.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	1.0	2.0	2.0
Total	1360.9	1396.2	1311.7	1324.0	1296.6	1257.7	1229.9	1215.3	1233.6

Note: Data above relates to all staff with an active record on the Department of Education & Skills HR system. It includes equivalent staff on secondment into the Department. It does not include staff on secondment out of the department, staff on career break or other leave without pay e.g. carer's leave/special leave etc.

School Transport Applications

Ceisteanna (417)

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

417. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on an application for a special transport grant. [1251/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

Currently in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.

In general, children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream or special school that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills' criteria.

The child in question is eligible for school transport and the family has been sanctioned a Special Transport Grant (STG) for the 2016/17 school year.

My Department is examining the question of the STG for the 2015/16 school year and is continuing to liaise with the family in question.

Youth Employment Initiative

Ceisteanna (418, 419)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

418. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has implemented the structures and systems necessary, specifically, the computerised accounting and information systems for EU funds, to meet the 2014-20 functionality requirements (details supplied) to be able to draw down funding from the youth employment initiative; if Ireland has implemented the required systems necessary to retrospectively make an interim claim from May 2016 to draw down €19.8 million in additional pre-financing received under the youth employment initiative and currently held in a suspense account, or if that money will be reimbursed to the Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1304/17]

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

419. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the funds that will be drawn down from the European Union youth employment initiative in 2017. [1305/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 418 and 419 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the EU additional pre-financing of €19.8m made available for the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) was due to be reimbursed to the Commission in the absence of an interim claim being submitted to the Commission by May 2016.   My Department reimbursed this pre-financing to the Commission last August.

However, the reimbursement of this pre-financing will not result in any loss of EU monies to the Exchequer, as the full YEI allocation of €68 m to Ireland will still be available for drawdown before year-end 2018, and it is expected that this funding will be fully drawn down. Furthermore, as the activities concerned are fully funded up-front by the Exchequer there is no resulting reduction in the funding available to those activities.

The current position is that work on the designation of the relevant ESF authorities, including the provision of a national computerised accounting and information system for EU funds to meet the 2014-2020 functionality requirements is continuing.  I understand that my Department expects that this designation work will be completed in the coming months and that it is proposed to commence the preparation of a first interim claim for payment from the Commission once the process of designation has concluded.  It is not possible at this stage to specify the amount of YEI funding which will be drawn down in 2017.