Tuesday, 20 Jun 2017

Written Answers Nos 490-509

School Excellence Fund

Ceisteanna (490)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

490. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the objectives and modus operandi of the schools excellence fund as described in the response to Parliamentary Question No. 155 of 3 May 2017 appears to be identical to those of the school completion programme which budget has been decimated since 2012 and which the ESRI review report of the programme identified very significant effects of budget reductions on targeted interventions such as the provision of summer programmes for at risk children; and the rationale for cutting the school completion programme while introducing another funding programme with the same objectives and same modus operandi of the SCP. [27194/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that the School Completion Programme and the School Excellence Fund are two entirely separate interventions and, while both form part of DEIS Plan 2017, they focus on different objectives. 

The School Completion Programme (SCP) is a service for schools in the context of DEIS the core aim of which is to increase the numbers of young people staying in school and in doing so improve the numbers of pupils who successfully complete Senior Cycle, or equivalent.  The SCP, including its funding, comes within the policy remit of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.   Further information on the SCP is available on the website of the Programme's service provider, Tusla, at the following link: http://www.tusla.ie/services/educational-welfare-services/school-support-services-under-the-deis-initiative/school-completion-programme. 

A key element of DEIS Plan 2017 is its focus on a pilot approach to identifying and supporting effective interventions, and exploring how these and further creativity around teaching and learning can make better use of the resources available to schools to achieve good educational outcomes.

To make this happen, DEIS Plan 2017 sets out the arrangements for the establishment of a School Excellence Fund to encourage schools to adopt more creative and innovative approaches to tackling educational disadvantage.

It is intended that the Fund will be trialled in a first group of schools during the coming school year, with priority being given to proposals from schools serving the most disadvantaged communities in inner city areas.

Areas of activity to be considered for piloting include:

- Encouraging strategic clustering and networking of schools in acutely disadvantaged areas;

- Leveraging evidence informed good practice in meeting the needs of students at risk of educational disadvantage;

- Enhancing school leadership and better equipping teachers to meet the needs of their pupils;

- Improving parental engagement and participation in student learning

- Supporting transitions across the education continuum.   

Implementation of the SEF will be overseen by the Inspectorate and Social Inclusion Unit of my Department and evaluation will take place as part of the DEIS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. 

The establishment of the School Excellence Fund fulfills an important Programme for Government commitment aimed at promoting excellence and innovation in the school system.

School Transport Administration

Ceisteanna (491)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

491. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the position going forward surrounding escorts on school buses for special needs pupils; if he will maintain the present escort system in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27225/17]

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 almost 116,000 children, including some 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 School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for transport where they are attending the nearest recognised school that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs. 

Under the terms of this Scheme, the Department also provides funding to schools for the employment of escorts to accompany children with special educational needs whose care and safety needs require this level of support while they travel to and from school.

Applications for transport provision, under the terms of the Scheme, should only be completed in circumstances where children are not in a position to avail of standard school transport services.

Parents may apply for standard school transport services for their children, however, escorts are not a feature of mainstream school transport provision.

Department officials are liaising with the family and Bus Éireann in relation to the school transport provision for the children in question.

Third Level Funding

Ceisteanna (492)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

492. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the €600 million base funding requirement in higher education institutions by 2021 identified by the Cassells report includes the €124 million that has been set aside from the calculation of the fiscal space for demographic increases in third level in 2018 and 2019. [27229/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The core funding figure for higher education of an additional €600 million annually by 2021 is recommended in the report of the Expert Group on Future Funding For Higher Education. This level of funding is required in order to deliver higher quality outcomes and to provide for increased demographics, with the funding for increased demographics understood to be of the order of €160m.

Following the publication of the Expert Group’s report, I took immediate steps to increase funding for higher education to address, inter alia, rising demographics, with an additional €36.5 million being secured in 2017. Provision is also being made in the Department’s expenditure ceiling in 2018 and 2019  for further investment and, cumulatively, in the period 2017 – 2019 this represents an additional €160 million Exchequer investment in higher education. Elements of this multi-annual funding provision will continue to be directed at meeting the costs of demographic increases. 

National Training Fund

Ceisteanna (493, 494, 528, 529)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

493. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the surplus of the national training fund cannot be used for capital expenditure at higher education institutions. [27230/17]

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

494. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the expenditure allocation for the national training fund is determined; and if its expenditure envelope can increase with growing revenues. [27231/17]

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

528. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the proposed employer-employee contribution mechanism was established within the NTF; and if some of the surplus in the investment account can be utilised for funding higher education institutions. [27749/17]

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

529. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the surplus or deficit for the year, the surplus brought forward by 1 January and the surplus carried forward at 31 December in relation to the income and expenditure account of the national training fund in each of the years 2000 to 2016, in tabular form. [27750/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 493, 494, 528 and 529 together.

The National Training Fund Act, 2000 provides for a levy on employers to be used to give skills or to raise skills amongst those in, or seeking, employment.

The levy is 0.7% of reckonable earnings in respect of employees in Class A and Class H employments, which represents approximately 75% of all insured employees. The levy is collected through the PAYE/PRSI system and funds are transferred monthly to my Department by the Department of Social Protection.

Funding from the NTF is allocated by my Department with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in accordance with the provisions of the National Training Fund Act, 2000.

Section 7 of the National Training Fund Act, 2000 provides that payments may be made from the Fund in respect of schemes, which are established to:

(a)  raise the skills of those in employment;

(b) provide training to those who wish to acquire skills to take up employment; or

(c)  provide information in relation to existing, or likely future, requirements for skills in the economy.

While the NTF does not form part of the Vote of my Department, the allocation for each scheme is determined as part of the annual Estimates process. The NTF is included as an annex to the published Estimates and such funding is included in the overall expenditure ceiling for my Department since 2011. 

The operation of the EU Fiscal Rules and the inclusion of the NTF in my Department's overall annual expenditure ceiling mean that, in the absence of an increased rate of contribution, additional expenditure cannot be sourced from the NTF without a corresponding drop in Exchequer expenditure.

Income from the NTF levy had fallen from a high of €413 million in 2008 to €299 million in 2012. The accumulated surplus in the fund has been critical in maintaining expenditure levels, particularly in the provision of training for the unemployed, in a period when receipts were falling.

It is considered prudent to continue to maintain an adequate surplus in the Fund to meet demand in future years and while the surplus represents a very significant sum, it would only cover 7 months NTF expenditure at current levels. The attached table sets out the surplus in the fund during the years 2000 to 2016. The surplus remains available for investment in education and training programmes to meet skills needs.

I am reviewing the allocation of funding to programmes in the Further Education and Training and Higher Education sectors as between NTF and Exchequer sources in terms both of the emphasis required on training for employment and training persons in employment and of satisfying the needs of enterprise to meet strategic skills requirements. One objective of this review is to direct NTF allocations in a manner that best reflects enterprise priorities as identified through the revised national skills architecture. 

My Department, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, have been undertaking a public consultation process on a proposed Exchequer-Employer investment mechanism for the higher and further education sectors.  The mechanism, which estimates an increase in the National Training Fund levy from 0.7% to 1% between 2018 and 2020, could yield an additional €200m revenue in 2020. As this would be an increase in discretionary revenue, the additional funds could be spent for the purposes outlined in the NTF Act.

National Training Fund Surplus 2000 – 2016

National Training Fund	Balance brought forward on 1 January €000	Surplus/(Deficit) for the Year €000	Surplus Carried forward 31 December €000
2001	0	31,279	31,279
2002	31,279	36,239	67,518
2003	67,518	18,061	85,579
2004	85,579	(1,484)	84,095
2005	84,095	16,861	100,956
2006	100,956	21,184	122,140
2007	122,140	38,710	160,850
2008	160,850	20,313	181,163
2009	181,163	8,061	189,224
2010	189,224	(85,034)	104,190
2011	104,190	73,833	178,023
2012	178,023	(23,019)	155,004
2013	155,004	742	155,746
2014	155,746	(7,921)	147,825
2015	147,825	35,937	183,762
2016	183,762	54,433	238,195

  Please note that the NTF was established in 2000.

The 2001 accounts cover the period 21st December 2000 to 31st December 2001 inclusive.

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Ceisteanna (495)

Ruth Coppinger

Ceist:

495. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on making certain courses in a college (details supplied) eligible for the free fees scheme to increase persons' employment prospects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27237/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

Private colleges operating on a for-profit basis, as is the case with Griffith College, are not listed as approved institutions under the free fees initiative scheme.

However, tax relief on tuition fees may be available for students attending courses in private colleges. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners.

It is also open to profit making private institutions to provide financial supports to students that they consider to be in need of such assistance.

School Staff

Ceisteanna (496)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

496. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will issue regarding an additional teaching post appeal in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27263/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.

The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.

The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for consideration by the Appeals Board at its April meeting under the alleviating some of the pressure on class sizes at infants level criteria. The appeal was refused by the Appeals Board on the basis that the grounds of the appeal did not warrant the allocation of an additional post for the 2017/18 school year. The school has been notified of the outcome of the appeal. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

School Staff

Ceisteanna (497)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

497. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will issue regarding an additional teaching post appeal in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27264/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.

The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.

The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for consideration by the Appeals Board at its June meeting under the alleviating some of the pressure on class sizes at infants level criteria. The appeal was refused by the Appeals Board on the basis that the grounds of the appeal did not warrant the allocation of an additional post for the 2017/18 school year. The school has been notified of the outcome of the appeal. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

Special Educational Needs Staff

Ceisteanna (498)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

498. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will issue regarding an appeal of a special education teaching allocation in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27265/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

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.  

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.

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 1200 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. 

Schools who wished to submit an appeal were asked to do so by March 31st 2017.

Schools could appeal whether the data used to calculate their school profile was correct and complete and whether it was correctly applied in the calculation of their 2017/18 allocation. 

The NCSE will advise schools of the outcome of appeals by the end of June, however, the NCSE has advised that the school referred to by the Deputy in this question has not submitted an appeal under the NCSE process.

The model will also allow for some additional provision for exceptional circumstances or where a school’s enrolment levels increase very substantially prior to the next review of the model. The National Council for Special Education will support schools in managing their special education teaching allocations in the first instance. Only in very exceptional circumstances, where it can be demonstrated that the schools profile has changed very significantly since the allocation was made to the school, may an additional allocation of hours be made to the school.

Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers to address the need of pupils with special educational needs have also now been published and are available on my Departments website.

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.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Ceisteanna (499)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

499. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to extend the existing July provision scheme with the view to implementing recommendations from various stakeholders concerning the need to extend the programme to include children with Down syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27268/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to examine the adequacy of current special education access and funding provision.

In addition the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Policy Advice on Educational Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders was published in July 2016.

In developing this policy advice, the NCSE reviewed the Department's July Provision scheme. The NCSE consulted widely with parents, professionals and other stakeholders and interested parties while also conducting research. The Policy advice is available on the NCSEs website www.ncse.ie

The policy advice recommends that relevant stakeholders should discuss the development of a national, day activity scheme that provides a structured, safe, social environment for all students with complex special educational needs for one month of the summer holidays.

My Department has convened an Implementation Group with representatives of the NCSE, NEPS, the Inspectorate and external representatives to ensure that the Report’s recommendations are fully and appropriately considered and that a timetable for implementation is prepared. The work of the Implementation Group is ongoing.

My officials will engage with officials in the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Health and other relevant stakeholders in regard to implementing the recommendations in relation to July Provision. 

I have no plans to extend the existing July Provision Scheme while this process is ongoing.  

 

Departmental Schemes

Ceisteanna (500)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

500. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of incidences whereby parents of children with Down syndrome and-or individual schools were contacted by his Department to issue a warning of possible legal action and-or possible recoupment as a result of funding via the July provision scheme having been sanctioned and provided for a child with the condition previously only for his Department to later determine that the child was in fact ineligible for same as per existing criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27269/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department's July Education Programme (or July Provision Grant Scheme) provides funding towards an extended school year for children with a severe or profound general learning disability and/or children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) enrolled in recognised schools.

My Department has not changed the qualifying criteria for access to the July Provision scheme and has not issued any warning of possible legal action or possible recoupment in respect of any application where a child was eligible under the terms of the scheme.  

Where an application for July Provision is made in respect of a child who is not eligible for such provision the application will be refused. Where an application is approved, based on information provided on the application form which subsequently proves to be inaccurate to a material degree, my Department may consider seeking recoupment of the grant paid.

Oideachas trí Ghaeilge

Ceisteanna (501)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

501. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna céard iad na socruithe atá i bhfeidhm chun a chinntiú go mbeidh seirbhísí oideachais bunscoile ar fáil sa nGaeltacht trí mheán na Gaeilge do ghasúir as an nGaeltacht a bhfuil an t-uathachas orthu; céard é an fad is faide is ceadmhach a bheith idir áit chónaithe gasúir den sórt sin agus áit a gcuirtear seirbhísí oideachais den sórt sin ar fáil; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [27270/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

Geallann an Roinn seo a chinntiú go mbeidh fáil ag gach leanbh a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais aici nó aige, páistí ar speictream an uathachais san áireamh, ar oideachas atá oiriúnach dá gcuid riachtanas, i suíomhanna scoile de rogha, trí líonra na mbunscoileanna agus n-iar-bhunscoileanna.

Tugann socrúcháin den sórt sin fáil ar chláir oideachais aonair a fhéadann leas a bhaint as idirghabhálacha oiriúnacha oideachais, a chuireann múinteoirí gairmiúla lánoilte ar fáil, le tacú ó Chúntóirí Speisialta Oideachais agus an curaclam cuí scoile.

Is í an Chomhairle Náisiúnta um Oideachas Speisialta, trína líonra d’Eagraithe Riachtanais Speisialta Oideachais áitiúla, i gcomhar leis na comhpháirtithe cuí oideachais, atá freagrach as ranganna speisialta a bhunú i gceantair éagsúla tíreolaíocha mar a n-aithnítear riachtanas ar leith.

Is cuid de chontanam an tsoláthair oideachais iad ranganna speisialta agus cuireann siad ar chumas daltaí a bhfuil riachtanais oideachais níos casta acu oideachas a fháil, i ngrúpaí beaga ranga, laistigh de scoileanna príomhshrutha. Oireann na ranganna seo do dhaltaí iad a moltar ina dtuairiscí gairmiúla áit i rang speisialta a thabhairt dóibh.

Sula n-iarrtar ar scoil rang speisialta a bhunú, nó aird a thabhairt ar iarratas ó scoil le haghaidh rang speisialta, ní mór don Eagraí Náisiúnta Oideachais Speisialta a bheith sásta go bhfuil an rang inbhuanaithe agus suite go hoiriúnach ag cur san áireamh an riachtanas atá ann agus an riachtanas a d’fhéadfadh teacht chun cinn sa cheantar.  Lena chois sin, cuirfidh an SENO cóiríocht na scoile agus fáil an phobail ar an scoil san áireamh.  

Tá os cionn 1,150 rang speisialta i scoileanna príomhshrutha ar fud na tíre faoi láthair agus tá ranganna breise speisialta beartaithe don scoilbhliain seo chugainn. 

Tá roinnt ranganna speisialta bunaithe ag an gComhairle i gceantair Ghaeltachta ar fud na tíre. Gheofar liosta iomlán na ranganna speisialta ar shuíomh gréasáin na Comhairle ag www.ncse.ie/special-classes

Ní féidir i gcónaí a chinntiú go mbeidh áit i rang speisialta ar fáil i scoil áitiúil an linbh, ach is féidir le scéim iompair scoile mo Roinne cóir iompair a chur ar fáil do leanaí atá ag freastal ar an scoil aitheanta is gaire mar ar féidir acmhainní a chur ar fáil chun a gcuid riachtanas speisialta oideachais a chomhlíonadh.

Tá Scéim Aitheantais Scoile na Gaeltachta, a seoladh i 2017, bunaithe ar chritéir airithe teanga a chur i ngníomh laistigh de thréimhse cúig bliana. Faoin scéim seo, is í an Ghaeilge a bheidh mar theanga theagaisc i ngach ábhair, seachas Béarla (agus teangacha iasachta in iar-bhunscoileanna) sna scoileanna sin atá rannpháirteach sa scéim.   Ba chóir d’oideachas Gaeilge den sórt sin soláthar a dhéanamh do riachtanais gach dalta, lena n-áirítear daltaí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu.  Ba chóir do scoileanna a oibríonn trí mheán na Gaeilge tacaíocht bhreise teagaisc a chur ar fáil, más gá, chun tacú le litearthacht leanaí sa Ghaeilge.

Sna scoileanna sa scéim ina gcleachtar an tumoideachas luath (scoileanna nach múintear aon Bhéarla iontu i ranganna na naíonán), ba chóir tacaíochtaí a bheith ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge ar leibhéal na naíonán don Ghaeilge agus don Mhatamaitic, agus trí mheán an Bhéarla don Bhéarla ó rang a haon ar aghaidh.

Meabhraítear do scoileanna gur gá an aird chéanna a thabhairt ar  fhorbairt inniúlacht litearthachta na ndaltaí sa Ghaeilge agus sa Bhéarla araon, de réir riachtanais oideachais na ndaltaí, i gcomhthéacs an oideachais Ghaeilge.  Ní mór do scoileanna Gaeltachta atá páirteach sa scéim nádúr deacrachtaí leanaí agus riachtanais speisialta oideachais na ndaltaí a chur san áireamh agus idirghabhálacha cuí á roghnú. Mar shampla, i gcás ina bhfuil riachtanas breise oideachais ag leanaí, is féidir an tacaíocht fhorlíontach a chuireann scoileanna ar fáil do na leanaí sin a bheith i nGaeilge nó i mBéarla, nó i meascán den dá theanga, faoi mar a mheasann an scoil a bheith riachtanach chun tacú le foghlaim na leanaí.

Gheofar eolas mionsonraithe ar an Scéim agus paca eolais ar bhuntáistí oideachasúla an tumoideachais chomh maith le sonraí ina dtacaíochtaí breise do scoileanna atá rannpháirteach sa Scéim ar shuíomh gréasáin na Roinne ag Scéim Aitheantais do Scoileanna Gaeltachta (www.education.ie).

Gheofar i gCiorclán 0013/2017 agus na Treoirlínte foilsithe do Bhunscoileanna: tacú le daltaí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu i scoileanna príomhshrutha atá forbartha ag an tSeirbhís Náisiúnta Síceolaíochta Oideachais, an Chigireacht agus an Rannán Oideachais Speisialta tuilleadh eolais ar conas is féidir le scoileanna riachtanais foghlama daltaí i scoileanna Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht a aithint agus a chomhlíonadh.

Ministerial Functions

Ceisteanna (502)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

502. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will accept an invitation from a school (details supplied) to visit the school in the near future; the likely timescale that will be involved before the visit takes place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27277/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I have indeed received an invitation to visit the school in question and congratulate their staff and students on their recent Yellow Flag award.

Deputy Hildegarde Naughton has also been in contact on the same issue and I have suggested that I will call into the school during my next official visit to Galway, which I hope to schedule as early as possible.

School Transport Eligibility

Ceisteanna (503)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

503. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if provisions can be made to allow a mainstream student travel on the same school transport provided by his Department through the SEN system as a sibling with special needs in cases in which the mainstream student is not attending the nearest school but willing to pay for their ticket and there is space on the bus (details supplied). [27327/17]

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 almost 116,000 children, including some 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 the Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, applications for transport provision should only be completed in circumstances where children are not in a position to avail of standard school transport services.

The Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the specialised nature of transport provision for children with special educational needs. This is reflected in the standard of dedicated service provided and the fact that these services are generally planned and timetabled to operate on a door-to-door basis. In certain cases, the Department also provides funding to schools for the employment of escorts to accompany children whose care and safety needs require this level of support while they travel to and from school.

Given the concerns regarding the welfare of these children with special educational needs, it is not practical to make these services available to children who are capable of travelling on standard mainstream school transport services.

Children who are attending mainstream schools may apply for school transport in accordance with the terms of the Department’s School Transport Schemes for Primary and Post Primary Schools.

 

Teachers' Remuneration

Ceisteanna (504)

Michael McGrath

Ceist:

504. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is the objective of Government to achieve pay equality for all teachers that started work since 2011 as part of the current public sector pay talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27376/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

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. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades 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.

The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers.  The agreements have, to date, restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more recently recruited teachers and deliver full equality at later points in the scale.  This is substantial progress and strikes an equitable balance with other claims for funding on my Department, particularly needs such as enhanced service for children with special educational needs, for disadvantaged schools, for growing schools, for Higher Education and for apprenticeships. 

It must be borne in mind that the pay reduction for post-2011 entrants to the public service applied to all public servants and not just teachers, and that any restoration of these measures in respect of teachers would be expected to be applied elsewhere across the public service. While I am not in a position to provide an estimate of the total cost of restoring all post-1 January 2011 entrants in all areas of the public service to the pre-2011 pay scale arrangements, I can say that in the case of education and training sector employees, including teachers, the estimated current full year cost would be in the order of €85 million.  Clearly, the cost across the entire public service would be substantially higher.

However there are other types of equality that we must also bear in mind, for example equality between public servants and people who work elsewhere or don’t work at all.  It would also not be equal or fair for us to do unaffordable deals with particular groups of public servants that mean that we do not have the money left in the public purse to provide increases in social welfare payments for vulnerable groups, tax reductions for people at work, or investments in improvements in public services that people rely on.

Any further negotiation on new entrant pay is a cross sectorial issue, not just an issue for the education sector. The Government also supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants.

Accordingly, the recently concluded draft Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 includes a provision in relation to new entrants which states that an examination of the remaining salary scale issues in respect of post January 2011 recruits at entry grades covered by parties to the Agreement will be undertaken within 12 months of the commencement of the Agreement. 

I also welcome the recent decision taken by the special convention of ASTI members to immediately suspend all industrial action relating to the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) and Junior Certificate reform.  As a result of the suspension of industrial action by ASTI members, a number of direct financial advantages will now apply to all teachers (both ASTI members and those teachers who are not members of a trade union) and who were not previously covered by the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA).  These include a wide range of measures specifically applying to post-2012 entrant teachers including pay improvements for post 2012 teachers  through the immediate payment of the first phase new salary scales agreed under the LRA and the payment of the second phase in January 2018. 

Schools Refurbishment

Ceisteanna (505)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

505. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding will be provided to repair a prefab at a school (details supplied) in County Kerry to accommodate a new autism class; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27408/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application, from the school referred to, for funding for repair works to a prefab in the context of a new ASD class at the school. 

The school has recently been advised of the technical recommendation required in respect of their application.  Once received, my Department will be in a position to consider the application further.

Higher Education Authority

Ceisteanna (506)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

506. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will request the HEA to undertake a detailed longitudinal survey on graduate career outcomes (details supplied). [27412/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Higher Education Authority’s (HEA) first destinations survey has been in place since 1982 and surveys graduates nine months after graduation. This survey is widely recognised to be of benefit to policy makers, students, guidance counsellors, teachers and many others with an interest in education.

The first destinations survey is a single point-in-time survey and does not capture the longer-term outcomes from higher education to graduates and society more generally. In order to obtain longitudinal data on the employment outcomes of graduates, the HEA has begun working in collaboration with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to link HEA graduate data with data from the Revenue Commissioners and Social Protection to form a longitudinal administrative study of graduate outcomes. The data will show employability and further study outcomes, sectors of employment and earnings (amongst other outcomes) of graduates up to 5 years after graduation.

This work will represent a landmark contribution to the evidence base on higher education outcomes, providing a rich longitudinal information set on graduate employment, unemployment and earnings outcomes. The report of this longitudinal administrative study is due to be published in Quarter 4 2017.

It should also be noted that the CSO’s Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) and Quarterly National Household survey (QNHS) also cover a broad range of issues in relation to employment and unemployment rates; earnings and occupations; and income and living conditions of the population. Although this data does not routinely focus on levels of educational attainment, it provides a significant data source on the principal economic situation of the population.

Schools Health and Safety

Ceisteanna (507)

Kevin O'Keeffe

Ceist:

507. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will liaise with a school (details supplied) in County Cork to discuss the proposals which can be formulated and the way in which funding may be obtained in conjunction with his Department to deal with the serious issues pertaining to parking at the school. [27414/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care.

The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter for the relevant local authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools to ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local school children. My Department has no function in this matter.

Should safety measures be required within the vested school site it is open to the school authority to make an application for funding under any future Summer Works Scheme.

Ministerial Correspondence

Ceisteanna (508)

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

508. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received correspondence from a group (details supplied) dated 20 December 2016 regarding the lumper schools project; if he has replied to the correspondence and the proposal; and if not, when a reply will issue. [27432/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department is keen to support Famine commemoration where it is feasible and practicable to do so. My officials have been in correspondence with the committee whose details were supplied and sought detailed clarification regarding the project in question. This includes seeking copies of the literature being proposed for issue to schools, clarification regarding how the project would work during school closure periods (i.e. holiday times), and ascertaining how the project is being rolled out in Northern Ireland, and to what extent. When these further details are provided, they can be considered by my Department.

Green-Schools is Ireland’s leading environmental management and education programme for schools. Promoting long-term, whole-school action for the environment Green-Schools is a student led programme with involvement from the wider community. The programme is operated and co-ordinated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce (Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) member for Ireland).

Green-Schools is operated in partnership with Local Authorities and is supported by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government; Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment; Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; The Department of Arts, Heritage Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Irish Aid, National Transport Authority; National Parks and Wildlife Service, Irish Water and the Wrigley Company Limited. 

Residential Institutions Redress Scheme

Ceisteanna (509)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

509. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the contracts received for ministerial approval from Caranua to date in 2017; the date on which each application was received by his Department; the effective date of each contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27442/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

Caranua wish to contract for a fully integrated financial software package in 2017 and this was sanctioned on 1st June 2017.