Written Answers Nos. 122-141
122. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a college has ever hired public relations firms with regard to whistleblowers in colleges; if so, the amount spent on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30347/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding, along with any funding it receives from private sources, is a matter for individual institutions and my Department has no role in their day to day operational affairs including the tendering of goods and services it requires. However, higher education institutions are bound by public procurement procedures in relation to such expenditure.
123. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a budget for a whistleblower to defend their good name in view of the fact that they stood up to protect the college reputation and finances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30348/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Protected Disclosures Act 2014 provides a framework within which employees can raise concerns regarding potential wrongdoing that has come to their attention in the knowledge that they can avail of appropriate protections if they are penalised by their employer or suffer any detriment for doing so.
124. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that primary school classes have on average four to five more pupils than those across the EU; his plans to reduce class sizes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30385/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2017 sets out the resources available for schools in the 2017/18 school year. This Budget represents the start of a major reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. The budget provides for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post-primary schools in the coming school year. The 2017/18 school year will see a significant increase in teacher numbers (almost 4,700) in our schools compared to the 2015/16 school year.
Budget 2016 provided for an improvement in the staffing schedule in primary schools by 1 point, from 1 teacher for every 28 pupils to 1 teacher for every 27 pupils for the 2016/17 school year and it should be noted that the current staffing schedule of 27:1 for primary schools has restored it to the position it was at prior to the fiscal crisis.
Average class size and the ratio of teachers to students (PTR) are two important measures of the resources that we make available to schools. Our average class size at primary level is only slightly above the EU average in relation to the pupil teacher ratio.
The Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level and it is my intention to make further improvements to class sizes over the life of the Government.
125. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase the capitation grant for primary schools by €20 per pupil, which according to research carried out by an organisation (details supplied) would cost €11.6 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30386/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is aware of the research referred to by the Deputy.
I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.
The Action Plan for Education outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented over the 3 year period 2016 to 2019 which include restoring capitation funding as resources permit.
Budget 2017 represents the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade.
In relation to capitation funding this commitment remains a priority for me to address during the lifetime of the Action Plan.
Primary schools are permitted to regard the capitation and ancillary grant as a combined grant. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016 and €5 in 2017 in order to enable primary schools implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation. A similar type approach in relation to improvements in grant funding was applied, as appropriate, at post-primary level.
126. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will restore support services for DEIS schools; the measures in place to ensure a maximum class size of 15:1 in DEIS band 1 junior classes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30387/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs noted in DEIS Plan 2017 – Supports to schools participating in the School Support Programme come in many forms – additional financial assistance, enhanced grant payments, additional teaching resources, psychological and behavioural supports, access to Home School Community Liaison and School programmes and priority access to School Meals Schemes. The objective of these supports is to improve teaching and learning outcomes in DEIS schools so that children and young people at greatest risk of educational disadvantage can access, participate and benefit from education.
All of these supports have been available to eligible schools to date and continue to be provided under DEIS Plan 2017. There have been no reduction in support services offered to DEIS school.
In particular, the staffing schedule for DEIS schools continues to provide for class sizes in DEIS Band 1 urban primary schools of 20 to 1 in junior classes and 24 to 1 in senior classes. There is no proposal to change this position at this point in time.
In cases where schools have additional teaching resources at their disposal, these additional resources should be deployed to meet the objectives of the DEIS Programme as set out in the School Plan.
As part of an overall goal of ensuring that additional resources are correctly matched to need, there is provision in DEIS Plan 2017 for an evaluation of teaching resources for schools participating in DEIS to be undertaken to inform future policy in the Irish context. This evaluation is scheduled to take place in 2018 as part of the overall DEIS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and will involve relevant education partners and other stakeholders.
127. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to restore supply panels of teachers at primary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30388/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA value for money review of the Supply Teacher Scheme was published in July 2006. The review found that only approx. 60% of supply teachers' time was used to cover sick leave absences. This reflects the unpredictable nature of sick leave absences. While there are benefits for schools in having these teachers it is considered more cost effective to use the normal substitution arrangements that apply to all other schools to cover sick leave absences instead of having a cohort of full-time teachers ''on call'' all the time in these schools to cover sick leave absences that may or may not arise.
128. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if SNA hours will be restored to 2017 allocation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if SNA hours for another person transferring to this school will be allocated to ensure that the school can maintain its SNA. [30394/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpecial Needs Assistants (SNAs) are provided to assist recognised schools to cater for pupils with disabilities, who have additional and significant care needs, in an educational context and where the nature of these care needs have been outlined in medical and other professional reports as being so significant that a pupil will require additional adult assistance in order to be able to attend school and to participate in education.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
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. My Department’s policy is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools, as a school based resource. The level of SNA support allocated to schools can change from year to year, as students with care needs leave the school, as new students with care needs enrol, or as students develop more independent living skills as they get older and their care needs diminish over time.
All schools were asked to apply for SNA support for the 2017/18 school year by 6th April 2017. The NCSE continues to process applications for access to SNA support which are received after the April deadline. Such applications will be processed in the order in which the applications are received. Schools will be advised shortly of their SNA allocations for the 2017/18 school year.
Where a school wishes to appeal the SNA support allocation which has been made to them, they may do so through the NCSE appeal process, details of which are set out at www.ncse.ie.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO and parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
129. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has met with representatives of a group (details supplied) who have requested to meet with him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30402/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra130. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the working conditions of English language teachers do not fall under his Department's remit; if so, the reason therefor; the Department under which responsibility for these issues would lie; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30403/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together.
The majority of English language schools in Ireland are privately run. The relationship between teachers and private providers of education is based on a private contract, and issues relating to working conditions are a matter between the two parties and do not come under the remit of my Department. If teachers working in the English language sector have a concern about their terms and conditions of employment they should contact the Workplace Relations Commission which offers a range of services to employees, including mediation, adjudication and inspection. This has previously been communicated to the group referred to by the Deputy by my Department.
The regulations governing ACELS (Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services), which is operated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) on a voluntary basis, and the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), which is administered by the Department of Justice and Equality in association with my Department, specify a requirement that all obligations concerning national employment legislation are complied with by education and training providers.
Going forward, Government policy for the international education sector is the International Education Mark (IEM), which will be managed by QQI. Legislative amendments are necessary to facilitate the introduction of the IEM. These amendments are contained in the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Amendment) Bill. The General Scheme of the Bill was approved by Government at the Cabinet meeting on 9th May 2017 and has now been referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills for pre-legislative scrutiny. It is the intention that the regulations governing the IEM will include a requirement that all obligations concerning national employment legislation are complied with by education and training providers seeking to access the Mark. The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Amendment) Bill will also provide QQI with powers to examine the bona fides of a provider in the round, including English language providers seeking to access the IEM.
131. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding mental health counselling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30416/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding, along with any funding it receives from private sources, is a matter for the individual institution.
My Department also provides a range of services for students in HEA funded higher education institutions, including supports provided by Access Offices. In particular these offices co-ordinate pastoral and academic supports for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Among the supports administered by the access offices, in conjunction with student services is the Student Assistance Fund.
The Student Assistance Fund is managed by the HEA on behalf of my Department. The Fund is allocated annually to the universities, the institutes of technology, the colleges of education and a number of other higher education institutions. The objective of the Fund is to provide financial assistance to full-time undergraduate or postgraduate students in need of such support. The Fund is intended to support students whose participation in higher education would otherwise be at risk as a direct result of financial difficulties.
The Fund is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with on-going needs for financial support and students with other circumstances giving rise to short or longer-term financial difficulties, including family responsibilities, bereavement, family difficulties, accidents or health problems. In all cases, institutions are responsible for targeting the available resources at those students most in need.
Student services and associated activities are an integral part of the whole student experience at third level. Student services support each individual student achieve his/her intellectual, cultural and social potential while supporting and complementing the formal academic programme. Student services can fall under a number of headings, particularly ‘Welfare and Guidance’ which includes counselling services, health promotion, careers service, multi-faith, racial and ethnic cultural support.
AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability is an independent non-profit organisation working to promote full access to and participation in further and higher education for students with disabilities and to enhance their employment prospects on graduation.
The HEA supports AHEAD with an annual grant towards the cost of the activities of the organisation. In 2016, AHEAD, in partnership with the National Learning Network (NLN), published a report called ‘Mental Health Matters’. This report is a study into the experiences of students with mental health difficulties in higher education in Ireland and a mapping of best practices in supporting these students. The report found that the majority of HEIs have services supporting students with mental health difficulties and some institutions have dedicated services for students. It also found that students were generally positive about their experience of these services. Some key recommendations from the report were:
- A whole of campus strategic response is required to meet the needs of students with mental health difficulties.
- The promotion of mental health awareness should be as part of induction for students.
- The provision of mental health awareness training at an institutional level for academic and all other staff including part-time/adjunct staff.
- A move towards a flexible approach to teaching across programmes to bring greater flexibility to learning and assessment to improve access for all students.
Implementation of recommendations is being progressed by AHEAD and partners and a follow-on conference/seminar is planned for later this year.
Fund for Students with Disabilities
The Fund for Students with Disabilities allocates funding to further and higher education colleges for the provision of services and supports to full-time students with disabilities from PLC up to doctoral level. The Fund aims to ensure that students can participate fully in their academic programmes and are not disadvantaged by reason of a disability. It also supports students from Ireland to study on approved courses in in Northern Ireland, the UK and other EU countries.
The total allocated under the FSD in 2015-16 was €10.4m. There were a total of 10,486 students supported under the fund.
Beneficiaries of the Fund for 2015-16 with a mental health condition were as follows:
- 91 out of 1362 total students in Further Education and
- 956 out of a total of 8920 students in Higher Education.
133. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding postgraduate grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30419/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware of the Action Plan for Education commitment to increase financial supports for postgraduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households.
In response to this commitment, I secured additional funding of €4 million in Budget 2017 to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants, from September 2017, for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students. This will benefit approximately 1,100 post graduate students who meet the eligibility criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant.
The Student Grant Scheme is now open for applications for the 2017/18 academic year. This earlier opening date will facilitate earlier decisions for students on their grant applications and therefore provide students with greater certainty about the financial support that will be available to them.
In addition to this specific measure targeted at postgraduate students, I also secured an additional €4.5 million in Budget 2017 for other new access measures that will benefit target groups such as lone parents, travellers, mature students, and students with disabilities.
The new measures being introduced as a result of Budget 2017 will complement the existing student supports that are already in place. In total my Department will invest approximately €450 million in access supports in the 2017/18 academic year. This will benefit approximately 80,000 disadvantaged students through the student grant scheme. Other measures include the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities.
134. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding adjacency rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30420/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that Budget 2011 provided for a number of student grant measures which came into effect for the 2011/12 academic year, including the change in the assessment of the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24 kilometres to 45 kilometres.
The 24km distance criterion was originally set in 1968 and had not been updated in more than 40 years. Since then, significant improvements have taken place in the road and rail network and it is considered that the revised distance criteria is more consistent with the type of distances that students may legitimately be expected to commute to college.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe. Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie
135. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the SUSI grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30421/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2017 scheme and regulations were published in late March. The 2017 scheme includes an amendment to the income threshold for the special rate of grant which has increased from €22,703 to €23,000. This change reflects the recent budget increases to the Old Age Contributory Pension and ensures that qualifying families dependent on welfare, will continue to qualify for the highest grant support possible.
The Student Grant Scheme provides for different levels of income thresholds where families have (i) less than 4 dependent children (ii) between 4 and 7 dependent children and (iii) 8 or more dependent children. In 2017, the highest income threshold for a family of less than 4 dependent children, is €54,240. In addition to this and in recognition of the additional cost to families where more than one person is attending college, income thresholds may be increased by a further €4,980 for each additional family member attending college at the same time.
The income thresholds and rates of maintenance grant under the Student Grant Scheme are announced annually as part of the Budget process. No changes to the rates or thresholds were included in Budget 2017. However, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, provision was made to reintroduce maintenance grants for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students.
136. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding student support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30422/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-19 contains more than 30 actions that are intended to make higher education more representative of wider society. One of five goals in the plan is to assess the impact of current initiatives to support equity of access in Higher Education Institutions. These include the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) and the Student Assistance Fund (SAF), both of which are managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of my Department.
Reviews of the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities were commissioned by the HEA. The Review of the Student Assistance Fund was published in September 2016. The recommendations in the Review are being implemented by the HEA in consultation with the DES. A Steering Group has been set up to support this process. The review of the Fund for Students with Disabilities is due to be published shortly.
The potential for reviewing options for existing access funding initiatives to part-time studies in higher education could only be considered in the context of the overall priorities and financial resources for access to higher education, and in the wider higher education funding context.
An additional €8.5million was announced in Budget 2017 for access measures to promote participation by under-represented groups in higher education.
- Measures to encourage HEIs to engage directly with disadvantaged communities in order to attract more disadvantaged students (€2.5)
- Reinstatement of maintenance grants for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students (€4m)
- Measures to facilitate more lone parents to access higher education (€1m)
- A new 1916 bursary scheme (€1m)
Post graduate grants have been re-introduced in the Student Grant Scheme for the 2017/18 academic year for the most disadvantaged students.
Both the Fund for Students with Disabilities and Student grants are available to students attending full-time post-leaving certificate courses in the Further Education Sector. There are no plans to extend the Student Assistance fund to the Further Education sector.
137. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding student fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30423/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2004, FÁS/SOLAS paid a part of the Annual Student Contribution (ASC) due in respect of apprentices, with apprentices themselves paying the part of the contribution relating to examination fees. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS have ceased making payments to Institutes of Technology (IoTs) and apprentices pay the full pro rata Annual Student Contribution. These arrangements mean that apprentices are treated the same, on a pro rata basis for the proportion of a full academic year they spend in IoTs, as full time students in terms of the annual student contribution. Typically an apprenticeship block is one third of an academic year, meaning that most apprentices pay €1,000 (one third of the full ASC of €3,000) as their ASC for that period.
However, unlike full time students, apprentices are paid a training allowance by SOLAS for phases of their training spent in IoTs. This allowance ranges from €293 to €647 per week depending on the trade and phase of the apprenticeship programme. This is the equivalent to their net take-home pay on the job, and is not subject to tax or PRSI. Such allowances are not available to students in the IoTs.
138. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a grant for mandatory Gaeltacht courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30424/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe decision to stop the Gaeltacht placement grants was taken during the economic crisis when, unfortunately, very difficult decisions had to be made to stabilise the nation's finances. Priority was given to protecting resources for front line education services as far as possible, which remains particularly challenging with rising numbers of school-going children.
The Deputy should note that, to assist with the costs of the Gaeltacht placement, students who are in receipt of a student grant which includes a 100% fee grant, or who would have qualified for a full fee grant but for the Free Fees Schemes, can apply for funding towards travel and accommodation costs under the field trip element of a fee grant, subject to the normal terms and conditions of the student grant scheme.
Apart from this, in circumstances of particular need, students may apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. Information in relation to this fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended.
139. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the student contribution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30425/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBased on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2014/15, and taking into account overall expected increases in student numbers, it is estimated that the net cost to my Department of reducing the Student Contribution by €250 would be €17m. This figures takes into account the resulting reduction to my Department's Student Grant Scheme budget.
While the student contribution now stands at €3,000, it is important to recognise that the state pays this contribution (or part of it) on behalf of almost 50% of undergraduate students. Tax relief provisions are also available so that second and subsequent siblings do not have to bear the full cost. In addition, higher education institutions have provisions in place to allow students to pay the contribution in two moieties.
With regard to future investment in the higher education sector, the report of the Expert Group on the Future Funding of Higher Education is currently being examined by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills with a view to making recommendations on a long-term sustainable funding model for higher education.
I have also taken immediate steps to increase funding for higher education with increased Exchequer funding of €36.5 million secured in Budget 2017 for the higher education sector, the first such increase in nine years.
140. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is funding available from his Department for general purpose rooms and PE halls; if not, his plans to offer funding at a future time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30434/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department’s current priority, within the limited funding available, is the provision of essential classroom accommodation in areas where significant demographic need has been established to ensure that each child will have access to a physical school place. The Deputy will therefore appreciate that all applications for capital funding must be considered in the context of the existing challenging financial circumstances where funding must be prioritised for this purpose and to provide mainstream classroom accommodation where additional teachers are being appointed.
To divert funding which would otherwise be used to provide much needed classroom accommodation for GP rooms would mean insufficient funding being available to provide classroom accommodation for a growing population.
In this regard, the delivery of new schools together with extension projects to meet future demand will be the main focus of the Department's budget for the coming years.
141. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the five year rule for primary school teachers temporarily swapping jobs still stands; if there have been cases to the contrary; and if so, if he will list them and the reason they have been treated differently. [30480/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provisions of the teacher exchange scheme are set out in Circular Letter 0017/2015 the contents of which were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council. The Teachers Conciliation Council is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for Teachers and was set up to deal with claims and proposals relating to the Terms and Conditions of employment of teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission.
The Teacher Exchange scheme is open to primary teachers who are registered with the Teaching Council, have completed probation and who wish to exchange their posts for educational purposes. Educational purposes would include enabling teachers in primary schools to gain experience of teaching in different types of settings. The concept is that teachers will gain a different experience, enrich their knowledge and understanding of their professional work and share this understanding with colleagues.
In accordance with the Circular the minimum period for which an exchange may occur is one year and the maximum is five years.
In 2016 the scheme was reviewed under the auspices of Teachers Conciliation Council and to facilitate this review the maximum period for which an exchange may occur was extended to allow applicants a sixth year of exchange in the school year 2016/17. Following a request from teacher representatives that a voluntary transfer scheme for Primary Teachers be considered it was decided to extend the maximum period for which an exchange may occur for one further year. Therefore the period for which an exchange may occur for those teachers in their fifth or sixth year of exchange was extended for one further year subject to other provisions of the circular being complied with, i.e. application by the teacher to his/her Board of management and the approval of the Board of Management being obtained.
The proposal for a voluntary transfer scheme is currently under consideration in my Department.
The number of teachers who availed of the teacher exchange scheme in the school year 2016/17 is 232 of which 10 are in their sixth year of exchange.
