Written Answers Nos. 82 - 105
82. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the number of private investigation firms hired by his Department in the past five years and to date in 2017; the names of the firms; the amount they were paid; if they supplied his Department with a report on completion of their work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15737/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the Deputy's question, I am advised that my Department has not hired any private investigation firms in the past five years and to date in 2017.
83. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new development (details supplied); the works expected to take place in 2017; if staff have been notified of this; if so, the latest notification they have received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15592/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe building project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - detailed design stage, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. The school and its Design Team are currently completing the Stage 2(b) submission which the Board of Management will then submit to my Department for review. When the Stage 2(b) has been reviewed my Department will revert to the school at that time with a timeframe for the further progression of the project to tender stage.
As the Board of Management of the school is the client for the building project responsibility rests with the Board of Management in the first instance to keep staff and parents informed of progress relating to the school building project.
84. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15670/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand from SOLAS that there is a fulltime Textile and Floor Covering Installer programme currently operating in a number of Education and Training Board (ETB) training centres. The aim of this programme is to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and competence to install carpet and vinyl floor covering independently or under direction in both commercial and domestic settings. Full details of this programme is available on www.fetchcourses.ie.
Employers in the sector can contact their local ETB to discuss the possibility of delivering this programme in their region, should sufficient demand exist.
85. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school bus ticket will be provided to a person (details supplied). [15712/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently in the region of 115,000 children, including almost 12,000 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.
Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
The child in question is not eligible for school transport and may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only which is subject to a number of conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service.
In this regard, Bus Éireann has advised that the family applied late for school transport and as the service is currently operating to capacity no additional tickets can be issued.
The terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
86. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter regarding a college (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15541/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership but rather in the ownership of Údarás na Gaeltachta. My Department has no current plans for the use of this building. Arrangements in relation to its potential alternative uses, its retention or sale are a matter for Údarás na Gaeltachta as the property owner.
87. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will sanction a summer works scheme application for a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; his views on whether this school is in exceptional circumstances; if as a result of these circumstances he will sanction summer works without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15542/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 10 application, external environment project, under the Summer Works Scheme (2016 and 2017) from the school to which he refers.
Nearly 50% of schools (including the school in question) have applied for inclusion under the 2016-17 scheme which reflects a very high demand. Details of successful school applicants in respect of Categories 1 and 2 were announced in April last and are published on my Department’s website www.education.ie. Assessment of valid projects in further categories is now being undertaken by the Department, subject to the overall availability of funding, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the scheme as outlined in Circular Letter (0055/2015), which may be accessed on the Department's website. The application from the school in question is available to be considered in this context.
In the meantime, it is also open to the school to use its minor works grant to carry out high priority works at their school in full or on a phased basis, as that grant permits.
88. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the funding application by a school (details supplied) for additional classroom space; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15552/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that funding was approved by my Department for the provision of additional classroom and resource teaching accommodation at the school referred to by the Deputy.
The school authority has since contacted my Department seeking to significantly revise the scope of the building project approved. My Department will be in contact with the school authority concerned in the matter shortly.
89. Deputy Michael D'Arcy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are grants available for a school (details supplied) in County Wexford to construct a playground in its grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15557/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the works referred to are eligible to be considered for funding under the Summer Works Scheme, the purpose of which is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to facilitate carrying out small and medium scale works that will improve and upgrade existing school buildings and the grounds within the school site area. My Department has no record of receiving an application from the school in question under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2016 and 2017.
The school may use its minor works grant, which all primary schools received last November, to carry out works in full or on a phased basis, as that grant permits, if the school considers the works to be a priority.
90. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of negotiations (details supplied); when talks are likely to conclude; when this facility will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15580/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB). I have asked CMETB to respond directly to the Deputy.
91. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills the core funding for each institute of technology and university in each of the years 2008 to 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15585/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra92. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of core funding spent on pay by each institute of technology and university in each of the years 2008 to 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15586/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 92 together.
All of the information requested by the Deputy is not currently available in my Department. Officials of my Department have requested the information from the Higher Education Authority and I will arrange for the information to be sent to the Deputy as soon as possible.
93. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to an internal review under way in a third level institution in respect of intellectual property policies and procedures; the institution and the nature of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15587/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra94. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a conflict of interest arising for senior personnel in third and fourth level institutes due to their employment, business or professional interest, including shareholdings, directorships and professional relationships; if he is satisfied that such conflicts are being appropriately managed in line with IP protocols as set out by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15588/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together.
The Deputy will be aware that as a country, Ireland has invested significantly in building research capacity in strategic areas allied to industry needs. This includes investment in top quality researchers, physical infrastructure, equipment and structures to commercialise research.
Investment in research is a key element of overall enterprise policy and seeks to drive innovation and competitiveness in business and the public sector and enable the creation of sustainable jobs. Higher education institutions are central to the delivery of this ambition.
In that context, the national IP Protocol “Putting public research to work in Ireland” was developed by a task group comprised of leaders from industry, the investment community and TTOs in 2012. The new protocol built on earlier guidelines and codes of practice, using the lessons learned from their use.
In 2013 the Government established a centralised function with responsibility for technology transfer in the State which led to the creation of Knowledge Transfer Ireland, launched in May 2014. Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) now has responsibility for setting direction for research performing organisations (RPOs) best practice to enable compliance with IP policy and procedures.
The publication of the national IP protocol in 2012, and its subsequent refresh in 2016, sought to establish policy and guidelines on the interactions between industry and Ireland’s Higher Education Institutes, including the treatment of intellectual property. It provides guidelines and sets expectations for the RPOs and for industry.
The national IP Protocol 2016 comprises two volumes:
- the National IP Protocol policy document which sets out the framework underpinning research collaboration and access to intellectual property from state-funded research
- the IP Protocol Resource Guide which provides an overview of the national IP management guidelines and links to resources and template documents, available for industry and RPOs. It also provides an overview of the knowledge transfer structures in Ireland and the kinds of agreements that can be used to formalise research-industry engagements.
The protocol explains the National IP Management Requirements and requires that RPOs have in place and operate internal IP management systems that meet or exceed these. The protocol also includes “good practice” that will normally be followed. However, industry and RPOs are free to adopt a different approach where this is in the best interests of successful relationships and research commercialisation. Practices are also highlighted that may be followed if industry/RPOs choose to do so.
The IP Protocol is a key reference source for Ireland’s HEIs and research funders. HEIs have developed IP policies that are in line with national guidelines and good practice. These will include policy on spin-out formation. The detail of policies will differ amongst institutions.
The research funding agencies for the publicly funded research system all require that the higher education institutions own the intellectual property arising from research projects that they fund. Each University and IoT has a set of policies that cover how they will govern the use of that IP.
The national IP Protocol explains that commercialisation may benefit HEIs and provide incentives to the researchers involved in creating IP. IP may include protectable IP and know-how. Furthermore, the national IP management requirements make provision for HEIs to have in place a system for sharing of income from commercialising within the organisation, including with relevant researchers.
It is international practice that researchers may hold shares in spin-out companies. The national IP Protocol makes it clear that HEIs should have policies and procedures in place that minimise or manage potential or actual conflicts of interest concerning the commercialisation of IP.
The IP Protocol (National IP Management Requirements) refers to conflict of interest as it applies to commercialisation of IP.
The national IP Protocol is clear on the policy and processes to identify, protect and commercialise IP that arises in HEIs. This includes guidance on licensing of IP. A suite of Model Agreements, available for use if HEIs and companies choose, covering a range of IP licensing scenarios is available on the KTI website.
In addition, all HEIs are requested yearly as part of their governance statements to state that a code of conduct for Governing Body members and a Code of Conduct for Employees has been adopted and is being monitored. Guidelines for these codes are included in the IOT and University Codes of Governance (section 3.2).
The University Code of Governance has been implemented since 2007 and was updated in 2012. A copy of the code is available here:
http://www.hea.ie/sites/default/files/university_code_of_governance_2012.pdf.
The Institutes of Technology Code of Governance published in 2012 replaces an earlier document published in 2003. A copy of the code is available here:
http://www.hea.ie/sites/default/files/code_of_goverance_jan_2012final_updated_0.pdf.
At institutional level, the Code of Conduct for employees and members of governing authorises would include statements related to conflict of interest and outside employment.
In addition to the national framework set out in the IP Protocol, each of the research funding bodies has contracts and agreements which set out the requirements on HEIs, including in relation to knowledge transfer.
As I have previously indicated to the Deputy, I have not been informed of occasions where breaches of policy have occurred.
As the Deputy is aware, a review is underway in Waterford Institute of Technology. The purpose of the review is to establish if the institution's interests have been appropriately represented and protected, that all relevant policies, protocols and procedures have been complied with and satisfactory governance processes have been applied. Once finalised this review will be presented to the Governing Body.
95. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills if moneys allocated to the State under the youth employment initiative allocation had to be reimbursed to the European Commission; if so, the amount of the reimbursement; the reasons for the reimbursement; if his Department's attention was drawn to the requirement in order to access funding upon making an application; if there was a delay in getting the system up and running; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15589/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) is integrated into European Social Fund (ESF) programming as a dedicated priority axis within the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020 (PEIL) that was adopted by Commission Decision in February 2015. The YEI allocation for Ireland of €68m is matched by equal amounts from our ESF allocation and from the Exchequer, giving an overall allocation of €204m.
The ESF Regulations provide for initial pre-financing/advances of EU support at 1% (or 1.5% for Member States under financial assistance in 2014 and 2015) of the full programme support, payable for each year from 2014 to 2016, together with annual pre-financing of between 2% and 3% payable from 2016 to 2023. In May 2015 an amendment to the relevant EU Regulations resulted in an unprecedented increase in the YEI advances to be paid to Member States. The Commission subsequently released pre-financing payments from the dedicated YEI budget line, worth 30% of the YEI budget, to provide additional financial liquidity to support YEI implementation. However, the relevant Regulations specified that where a Member State did not submit an interim payment application by 23 May 2016 for at least 50% of the additional pre-financing amount, that the Member State must reimburse the Commission the total YEI pre-financing contribution. The ESF regulations also provide that annual pre-financing for any year in which an interim payment application is not made in that year must also be reimbursed.
As 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, Ireland did not comply with the requirement to submit an interim YEI payment application by the due date. Accordingly, €19.8m additional pre-financing received was reimbursed to the Commission. Furthermore, as there was no ESF application made in 2016, the €11.6m annual pre-financing for 2016, including €1.36m for the YEI, will be offset against the 2017 pre-financing due.
The reimbursement of these amounts has not resulted in any loss of EU monies to the Exchequer. The YEI funding is available for drawdown before the end of 2018 and while a claim for funding has not been made to date it is expected that the funding will be fully drawn down. The ESF Managing Authority and the Operational Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC) maintain an ongoing overview of the funding allocations under the PEIL and will re-allocate the available funding as required, in accordance with the EU Regulatory provisions. The PMC has agreed in principle to the inclusion of the Community Training Centres, which are funded by the ETBs in consultation with SOLAS, as an approved activity under the YEI with effect from 1 January 2017. The other actions originally selected for YEI funding, are the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance; JobBridge; JobsPlus Incentive Scheme; Tús; Youthreach, Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme and Momentum. As the activities concerned are fully funded up-front by the Exchequer there is no resulting reduction or delay in the funding available to those activities.
96. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of his Department's ownership of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15599/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe property to which the Deputy refers is in my ownership. It was agreed as part of the discussions on the property acquisition that my Department would facilitate the occupation of the current schools on the campus during their wind-down period.
97. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the official timeline for phasing out a school (details supplied); his plans for providing four extra classrooms for a school (details supplied) over the next two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15600/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that, in respect of the first school referred to, my Department was advised by the Patron of the decision to close the school. The closure arrangements to apply in the case of this school are a matter for the school’s Patron. In this regard, the school Patron has advised that it is intended to close the school on a phased basis to 2019 so as to enable the current cohort of post-primary students to complete their current cycle of Junior Certificate or Leaving Certificate during the wind-down period.
In regard to the second school referenced by the Deputy, my Department is currently examining the options for the temporary accommodation required over the next two years for the school concerned.
98. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the land acquisition for access to the site of a new school building at a school (details supplied) between stakeholders; if contracts have been exchanged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15601/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has continued to progress matters with both the landowners and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in relation to a suitable access for the permanent building of a primary school on the site of the school to which the Deputy refers.
Due to the complexity of issues it is not possible to indicate a timeline for the completion of the acquisition. As commercial sensitivities apply to property acquisitions generally, my Department is not in a position to provide further details at this time.
99. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of services for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15614/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including SNA support.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.
Responsibility for deciding on the quantum of educational supports and resources to be allocated to schools to support individual pupils rests with the NCSE. It should 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 in the school.
The local SENO is available to discuss any concerns that parents have about the present or future educational needs of their child. All schools have the contact details of their local SENO. Contact details are also available on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie.
As the question which the Deputy asks relates to an individual child, the matter has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply.
100. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) will be permitted to defer their pension and lump sum to allow them to remain in employment after 65 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15619/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe individual to whom the Deputy refers is a primary school teacher and is a member of the Primary Schools Teacher Superannuation Scheme 2009. In accordance with the terms of that superannuation scheme it is not possible to remain in pensionable service beyond the end of the school year in which she reaches age 65. The subsequent filling of that vacant post is a matter for the school authorities' with due regard to the rules for recruitment of teachers as laid down by my Department.
Pension benefits for the individual become payable from the date of retirement, which I understand in this case is from 1 September 2017.
So while the individual concerned may not remain a member of the pension scheme should she return to employment in the education sector or in the public sector in general her pension benefits will be abated in accordance with the rules of the pension scheme.
This in general terms means should her pension benefits (not including her lump sum) plus her salary exceed the final retirement salary (uprated to current rates) then her pension benefits will be reduced by the excess.
101. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of the school community at a school (details supplied) with regard to the move by his Department in respect of the school losing a special education teaching post which will negatively impact on the whole school; if he will review the new model introduced by his Department; if he will provide assistance to this school community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15631/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra103. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will re-examine the decision to reduce the number of resource teachers at a school (details supplied); his views on whether the new model of allocating resource teachers is unfair due to the component of complex needs being based on one year only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15673/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 103 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools were published on 7th March 2017.
These Circulars set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools.
The revised allocation process replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support and high incidence special educational needs, and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocation process which provided additional resource teaching supports to schools, to support pupils assessed as having Low Incidence disabilities.
The new Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.
Allocations based on the school profiles were issued to all schools on 7th March. Details of the special education teaching allocations have also been published on the NCSE website.
The aim of this new model is to deliver better outcomes for children with special educational needs. Substantial research, analysis, consultation with service users and stakeholders, and piloting have gone in to the development of this model and all of the evidence points to the fact that this new system will deliver better outcomes for children.
No school, including the school to which the Deputy has referred, will lose supports as a result of the implementation of the new model. In addition, no school will receive an allocation, for the support of pupils with complex needs, less than the allocation they received to support such pupils during the 2016/17 school year.
For the introduction of the new allocation model, from September 2017, the NCSE ‘Low Incidence’ allocations which had been made for each school during the preceding 2016/17 school year, have been used to establish the complex needs component of the new model for each school. This has ensured that the most up to date data on the distribution of pupils in this category accross the school system has been used.
No allocation made for such pupils by the NCSE will be removed from schools as long as that pupil remains in the school.
An additional 900 teaching posts have been provided to support the introduction of this new allocation model. The provision of an additional 900 teaching posts is a very significant investment in the provision of additional teaching support for pupils with special educational needs in our schools. This is additional to an increase of 41% in the number of resource teachers allocated to schools annually by the NCSE since 2011.
The additional funding will provide additional supports to over 1000 schools who are identified as needing additional supports as a result of the new model. Supports for children with special educational needs is a key priority for this Government. The new funding will ensure that all schools receive a sufficient allocation of special education needs resources to provide additional teaching support to all pupils, including pupils who have yet to enrol in their school, who require such support.
In relation to the particular school referred to by the Deputy in his question, this school had a General Allocation Model allocation of 50 hours for the 2016/17 school year, which combined with 30.18 resource teaching hours allocated to the school by the National Council for Special Education, gave a total allocation to the school of 80.18 additional teaching hours for the 2016/17 school year.
As the profiled allocation for the school did not indicate an increased allocation requirement for the school for 2017/18, the school has maintained its existing level of allocation.
The special education teaching allocation for this school for 2017/18 is 80.18 hours.
There has therefore been no reduction to the special education teaching allocation for this school.
Schools must notify the Department on Form S.E.T.Cluster 2017, Appendix D of the primary Staffing Schedule, of their clustering arrangements for their new Special Education allocation.
Completed forms should be returned to the Department’s Primary Teacher Allocations Section as soon as possible but no later than close of business on 30th March 2017.
S.E.T. hours that are clustered into new full-time permanent posts and received before this deadline will be automatically approved by the Department. Schools that do not return the completed form within the above timeframe or where all of a school’s S.E.T hours are not clustered into full-time posts will be included, as appropriate, in the Department led clustering process.
Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers to address the need of pupils with special educational needs are also being prepared and will be published shortly.
The Guidelines will support schools to reflect on how they can review and manage their timetabling practices to ensure the timetable is sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of all pupils in their school who have special needs. The Guidelines encourage schools to ensure they deploy their resources appropriately to meet the needs of all of the children in their school who require additional teaching support, including pupils with emerging needs, or new entrants.
The NCSE has announced the commencement of an independent appeals process through which schools may appeal the allocation made to their school if they believe the data upon which the allocation is based is incorrect or has been incorrectly used.
102. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of plans to secure a site for a school (details supplied). [15671/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOfficials in my Department are currently liaising with the school authorities in relation to the provision of a permanent accommodation solution for the school to which the Deputy refers. Once a preferred solution has been identified, my Department will work to advance the project as expeditiously as possible.
104. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a NEPS assessment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15710/17]
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), full details of which are on the Department's website. 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 oriented consultative approach to maximize 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.
If the parents of the child, the subject of this question, have specific concerns about his educational progress I would advise in the first instance that they speak to the Principal of the school with a view to raising these concerns with the assigned psychologist.
105. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on implementing the recommendation of the report of the interdepartmental working group on fuller working lives to develop appropriate solutions tailored to the needs of older workers in order to support them to remain attached to the workforce for as long as possible and to reskill or upskill from occupations in which they may no longer be in a position to remain; if he has raised the matter with SOLAS and the education and training boards; the response he has received from them; if work has commenced on the development of these solutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15720/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWithin the education sector, there are a range of actions in place as well as a number being developed to support the skill needs of older workers, to enable them to remain attached to the workforce for as long as possible and to meet the evolution of Ireland’s education system to one that fully supports lifelong learning as envisaged by the National Skills Strategy 2025 and the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019.
This year, I increased funding to Skillnets Limited by over 10% to enable it to deliver over 43,000 training places for those in employment, in a range of sectors and regions across over 63 training networks who will identify training needs and source provision to ensure it is aligned to the needs of workers and enterprise.
The National Skills Strategy 2025 sets out the vision that Ireland will be recognised by the quality of its workforce and has set a target to increase lifelong learning to 15% by 2025.
In that context, my Department and SOLAS agreed last year, to develop a policy framework for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector to guide activity undertaken by the sector to support employee development in Ireland. Work on the framework, which has involved consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, is nearing completion. Under the Action Plan for Education 2017, it along with an implementation plan is scheduled for publication in Q2 2017
Goal 2 of the Further Education and Training Strategy 2014-2019 which relates to active inclusion aims to support the active inclusion of individuals of all ages and abilities to participate in further education and training (FET) to enable every citizen to fully participate in society.
Examples of actions currently taking place within the sector to support the active inclusion of all learners include:
- Introduction of new part-time programmes as well as timetabling study and ICT skills and academic literacy support across all level 3 and 4 provision;
- Increased flexibility in course provision to suit the lives of all learners, including weekend, evening, part-time provision as well as full-time;
- Enhanced pre-assessment policies and procedures to support the identification of best fit programmes and award levels for all;
- Development of learner engagement programmes, designed to meet the needs of persons most removed from the education/training environment, affording participants the opportunity to engage in active learning in an environment that is welcoming and supportive of their learning needs.
- Launched last year, the further education and training course hub (FETCH) which is available at www.fetchcourses.ie provides prospective learners with information on almost 6,000 FET programmes being provided throughout the country.
My Department will continue to work with its agencies and other Government Departments to support older workers to remain attached to the workforce through the provision of high quality flexible education and training opportunities.
