Written Answers Nos. 160 - 181
160. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of extending a non-adjacent maintenance grant to €4,025 to part-time students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, respectively. [30803/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra161. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of extending the adjacent maintenance grant to €2,215 to part-time students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, respectively. [30804/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the student grant scheme is not currently available to part-time students. As such, it is difficult to provide costings for this cohort of students.
However, based on enrolment data for part-time students provided by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the estimated cost of increasing the current value of the 100% adjacent and non-adjacent grants by €1,000 and extending them to part-time undergraduate students, would be in the region of €19m and €20.6m per year respectively.
The estimated cost of increasing the current value of the 100% adjacent and non-adjacent grants by €1,000 and extending them to part-time postgraduate students, would be in the region of €3.5m and €3.8m respectively.
162. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of the €99 million allocation for apprenticeships in 2017; the outcomes of this expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30808/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA budget allocation of €98.7 million has been made available for apprenticeship training in 2017. This is an increase of almost 42% on the 2016 spend of €69.6 million.
€77.4 million has been allocated to SOLAS for both craft and new apprenticeships in the further education and training (FET) sector. The SOLAS allocation also funds training allowances for apprentices on craft trades during all off-the-job phases, including the time they spend in Institutes of Technology.
€21.3 million has been made available to the HEA to fund the training costs of craft apprentices and new apprenticeships in the Institutes of Technology.
163. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for additional accommodation for a school (details supplied); the proposed timeframe for a decision on this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30827/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for additional school accommodation. The application will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department provided significant funding to the school in 2015 to construct four classrooms and the building project is now nearing completion. In addition, my Department approved grant to the school earlier this year to construct a Home Economics Room.
164. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for additional accommodation by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30841/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the school to which he refers submitted an application to my Department, for significant capital funding for improved school accommodation. The application was considered in the context of the very significant challenges facing my Department in prioritising available capital funding for essential mainstream classrooms to meet the demand for extra school places and in cases where additional teachers have been appointed. The school in question has not been sanctioned an additional teaching post and on that basis, my Department was not in a position to provide grant to the school. My Department wrote to the school authority last February explaining the position.
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.
165. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project for a school (details supplied); if the grant has been confirmed in writing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30862/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding for the school to which is refers has been approved to provide 1 mainstream classroom with en-suite toilets and 1 WC for assisted users. As usual when funding for a building project is approved, this has been conveyed to the School Authority in writing.
166. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is a constitutional right for a child to receive additional care and special support in a school with six children with learning difficulties. [30884/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Constitution, the State provides for education and where the public good requires it, to provide other educational facilities or institutions rather than to provide education directly. The Education Act 1998, subject to the provisions of that Act, provides that there is made available to each person resident in the State a level and quality of education which is appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of that person.
My Department's policy is that children with special educational needs should be included in mainstream placements with additional supports provided, unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or in the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated, as is provided for under Section 2 of the Education of Persons with Special Needs Act 2004.
Students with special educational needs have access to a range of support services including additional teaching and/or care supports. Some children may be supported in mainstream with additional supports or in a special class attached to a mainstream school. Students in a special class have the option, where appropriate, of full/partial integration and interaction with other pupils. Other children may have such complex needs that they are best placed in a special school. In special schools and special classes, students are supported through lower pupil teacher ratios. My Department, therefore, provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
The 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 as required. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support, as set out in various Departmental circulars.
Special 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 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 NCSE allocates a quantum of SNA support for each school annually, taking into account the care needs of all of the qualifying children enrolled in the school, and on the basis of the assessed care needs of all of the children concerned, rather than solely by reference to a pupil’s disability categorisation.
The provision of a quantum of support to schools gives schools the autonomy and flexibility to manage their allocation of SNA support in order to utilise this support to the best possible effect. It allows schools to target support to those pupils who have the greatest degree of need at any given time, recognising that the level of need that a child may have may be variable over time. The school is in a position to use their educational experience and expertise to manage the level of support which has been allocated to them to provide for the care needs of identified children as and when those needs arise and to provide access to SNA support for all children who have been granted assess to support.
Where a school or parent wishes to appeal the SNA support allocation which has been made, 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.
From September 2017, a new Special Education Teaching allocation process will be introduced, replacing 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 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 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.
DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools were published and allocations based on the school profiles were issued to all schools on 7th March 2017. Details of the special education teaching allocations have also been published on the NCSE website.
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 Department’s 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 educational 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 total profiled allocation which is being made to each school is designed to ensure that all schools have a set level of special education teaching support in order to provide additional teaching support for all pupils in their school, including those who may enrol in future, who have identified needs.
Pupils under the new allocation model will be identified by schools for additional teaching support in accordance with the Continuum of Support Guidelines, and the Guidelines which accompany the Circulars 0013/2017 and 0014/2017. Teachers and School Principals will use their professional judgement in applying the principles and practices set out in the Continuum of Support Guidelines: https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/National-Educational-Psychological-Service-NEPS-/neps_special_needs_guidelines.pdf.
In circumstances where a parent is dissatisfied as to the extent of additional support teaching time which has been allocated to their child from within a schools allocation, the normal course of action open to a parent would be to raise this matter with the school Principal in the first instance, and to request that additional teaching be provided to their child.
In the event that a parent raised an issue in relation to the allocation of additional support for their child with the school Principal, and remains dissatisfied with the manner in which the school Principal addressed their complaint, the next course of action open to the parent would be to raise this matter directly with the Board of Management of the School, who are the body which has responsibility for the management of the school.
167. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30889/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy is, I understand an employee of Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB).
ETBs are statutory authorities which have responsibility for education and training, youth work and a range of other statutory functions. ETBs manage and operate second-level schools, further education colleges, multi-faith community national schools and a range of adult and further education centres delivering education and training programmes. Each ETB is responsible for the management of their own HR functions to include administration of the relevant pension scheme.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, WWETB have informed my officials that the employee concerned was admitted to the relevant Education Sector Pension Scheme (SI 290 of 2015) from 1 September 2015. She recently entered into an agreement with WWETB, to purchase service prior to her admission to the pension scheme. This service will on the payment of the relevant contributions become reckonable for pension benefits on retirement. The arrangements for payment of contributions for that service, which I understand will be paid over a number of years, were agreed between the employee and the ETB. It is a matter for the employee concerned to engage with her employer WWETB on any issues arising from this agreement.
168. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will approve the sale of an old school building (details supplied) in County Dublin; if he will investigate this delay and take the necessary steps to ensure approval is forthcoming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30910/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is a charging lease in place on the property referred to by the Deputy which means that I have a vested interest in the property. I can confirm that my Department has received a request from the property owner to release my interest.
My Department has considered the above request. In principle, there is no objection to the request to use the property for community purposes. Officials in my Department will be in contact with the property owner to inform them of the steps which need to be taken in order to release my interest in the property.
169. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the proposed Exchequer employer investment mechanism which would enable the NTF to be used to fund higher education institutions will require legislative amendment to the National Training Fund Act 2000. [30911/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding 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.
The proposed exchequer employer investment mechanism which would enable an increase in the National Training Fund Levy to be used to benefit Further Education and Training and Higher Education would require legislative amendment. The National Training Fund Levy is set at 7% in the National Training Fund Act 2000 and any increase in this rate would require an amendment to the legislation.
170. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 528 of 20 June 2017, if under the National Training Fund Act 2000, the annual surplus not the accumulated surplus which was €54 million in 2016, can be used to fund education undertaken at higher education institutions. [30912/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile 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 of my Department and such funding is included in the overall expenditure ceiling for the Department since 2011. This means that overall expenditure from the Fund cannot be increased, even where receipts increase, without a corresponding drop in voted expenditure.
The surplus in the NTF in 2016 cannot be used to fund education undertaken at higher education institutions without my Department's overall exchequer funding being reduced by a similar amount.
171. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 559 of 20 June 2017, if he will answer the question and provide details of all funding to each ETB from 2014 to 2017 which is channelled through SOLAS from his Department (details supplied); and if his Department does not have access to this data, his views on whether this is acceptable. [30914/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraParliamentary Question No. 559 was interpreted in my Department as referring to funding provided directly by my Department to VEC/ETBs.
Data on the funding provided by SOLAS to ETBs for the period 2014 to date in 2017 follows:
Summary of Grants Paid to Education and Training Boards by SOLAS
|
2017 to June 2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|
|
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
|
|
€'000 |
€'000 |
€'000 |
€’000 |
|
|
Cavan & Monaghan |
8,376 |
14,632 |
8,340 |
6,896 |
|
City of Dublin |
40,162 |
79,752 |
82,017 |
85,963 |
|
Cork |
25,404 |
50,592 |
49,018 |
51,938 |
|
Donegal |
10,156 |
20,435 |
22,354 |
14,697 |
|
Dublin & Dun Laoghaire |
30,984 |
65,681 |
64,302 |
68,916 |
|
Galway & Roscommon |
16,206 |
32,230 |
32,947 |
24,798 |
|
Kerry |
12,554 |
24,439 |
24,354 |
24,997 |
|
Kildare & Wicklow |
14,583 |
26,667 |
20,263 |
17,107 |
|
Kilkenny & Carlow |
8,692 |
14,230 |
7,363 |
7,408 |
|
Laois & Offaly |
7,888 |
14,646 |
7,507 |
7,892 |
|
Limerick & Clare |
25,451 |
49,934 |
53,944 |
34,751 |
|
Longford & Westmeath |
11,890 |
22,655 |
34,520 |
24,360 |
|
Louth & Meath |
14,895 |
29,684 |
28,354 |
23,161 |
|
Mayo, Sligo & Leitrim |
15,308 |
30,585 |
27,848 |
20,782 |
|
Tipperary |
8,498 |
13,567 |
8,221 |
6,987 |
|
Waterford & Wexford |
23,139 |
48,503 |
56,025 |
38,111 |
|
Total |
274,186 |
538,232 |
527,377 |
458,764 |
172. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills the school transport supports available to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30937/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool 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 school transport scheme for children with special educational needs children are eligible for transport where they:
- have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability in accordance with the designation of high and low incidence disability set out in Department of Education and Skill’s (DES) Circular 02/05
and
- are attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
My Department has not received an application for school transport for the child in question.
In this regard, the family should liaise with the School Authorities and the SENO, attached to the school, if they wish to make an application for the 2017/18 school year.
173. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the capitation levels per pupil to primary schools and to post-primary schools; and the estimated cost of restoring capitation levels for both to pre-2010 levels. [30940/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrently, the capitation grant is €170 per pupil at primary level and €296 per pupil at post-primary level.
The estimated cost of restoring capitation grants in primary and post-primary schools to pre 2010 levels is circa €35m.
I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary schools having regard to the aforementioned reductions.
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.
174. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of equalising school funding between voluntary secondary schools and community and comprehensive secondary schools. [30942/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe funding arrangements in the Community & Comprehensive sector and the ETB sector are primarily based on budgets determined by the Department. The enrolment in the individual schools is the main driver of the level of these budgets.
The funding arrangements in the Voluntary Secondary School Sector are based on per capita grants provided by the Department. Some equalisation measures were introduced to rectify historical inconsistencies in the funding arrangements for this sector of post-primary schools. It is estimated that up to €21m has been provided in equalisation funding between 2001 and 2009.
The level of disparity in the funding arrangements between the three sectors would need to be revisited to determine what remains to be done on the equalisation agenda.
175. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to publish a strategy, plan or guidelines on the availability of foods high in fat, salt and sugars and on vending machines in secondary schools; and the guidelines at present to schools on the availability of such foods in vending machines in schools. [30943/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is active in the area of promotion of health and wellbeing in schools. The issue of promoting healthy eating is addressed in schools through subjects such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), and Home Economics as well as in Physical Education. The aim is to equip students with such skills and knowledge to enable them to make appropriate choices for healthy lifestyles. This informed approach will help to reduce the incidence of obesity in our young people. Many post-primary schools have a number of food outlets, including school shops and vending machines. My Department acknowledges that the sale of food and beverage products often represents a revenue stream for schools and it is not the intention to end this practice. Rather the intention is to ensure that there is a greater proportion of healthier alternatives to some of the less healthy products that are currently on offer for sale in schools. Boards of Management and Principals are encouraged to provide as far as possible that only healthy products are available for purchase on school premises.
Schools are strongly encouraged to have a formal healthy eating policy that has been developed in consultation with students and parents.
Guidelines are available to schools on Developing a healthy eating policy in Post-Primary Schools, which have been developed by the Department of Health and HSE. The healthy eating policy should outline how the school supports healthy eating practices through the promotion of healthy lunches and healthy snacks and other means.
My Department issued a circular to all post primary schools in September 2015 on the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Post Primary Schools (Circular number 0051/2015).
176. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made on the national roll-out of the headstrong help seeking schools based substance misuse programme to all schools. [30944/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware my Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with the broad range of problems, behavioural emotional and social.
The processes span the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care and the provision of professional development for teachers. It also involves other supports such as educational psychological services and guidance and counselling services, and the interface with other agencies, both nationally and locally. Schools also engage in a wide range of sport and cultural co-curricular activities which provide an important opportunity for students to experience success and personal growth.
Wellbeing Guidelines for Post-Primary and more recently for Primary Schools have been produced by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. The guidelines are informed by consultation with key Education and Health partners and by the findings of current research. They provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and well-being in an integrated school-wide way and they also provide evidence-based advice on how to support young people who may be at risk of suicidal behaviour. The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model and the HSE, Health Promoting Schools Process. Information is also provided on how to access support from the SPHE Support Service and other external agencies and support services.
The Headstrong Help Seeking Schools Programme initiative is one of a range of external resources and initiatives that are available to assist, among others, schools in supporting various aspects of a positive mental health process. My Department is not in a position to endorse each individual initiative, and it is a matter for individual schools to determine which of these resources they choose to access. My Department's advice is that schools in the first instance should implement the guidelines document effectively and when considering collaborating with external agencies in doing work in the area of mental health promotion, schools should be particularly cognisant of my Department's circulars 0022/2010 and 0023/2010 which provide advice on best practice in this regard.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
177. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB, has concluded its examination of the options for the site for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30949/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that a range of issues relating to the opening of the school referred to by the Deputy are matters for discussion between Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and An Foras Pátrúnachta. My Department will continue to work closely with Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and An Foras Pátrúnachta in relation to the provision of appropriate accommodation for the establishment of the school to which the Deputy refers.
178. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the design team for a school (details supplied) has submitted the stage 2(b) submission including review arising from changes in public work contracts; if submitted, when his Department will complete its review and sanction the seeking of tenders for the new school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30950/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Board of Management is the client for the major building project at the school to which the Deputy refers all correspondence issues from the Design Team to the Board. The Department has not received the Stage 2(b) submission to date.
Upon completion of the review of the Stage 2(b), once submitted and subject to no further issues arising, the Department will revert to the school at that time regarding the further progression of the school building project.
179. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received the tender documents and stage 2(b) documentation for a school (details supplied); if not, if his Department will contact the design team to inquire as to the delay in submitting the documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30951/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm for the Deputy that the school and its design team have not yet submitted the report to my Department. My Department has contacted the Design Team Leader directly and has been informed that the design team QS is currently in the process of completing the Bill of Quantities and the Stage 2(b) cost plan. The stage 2(b) report will then be submitted by the Design Team to my Department for review.
Upon receipt and review of this outstanding documentation the Department will revert to the Board of Management with regard to the further progression of the project at that time.
180. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the stage 2(b) cost check for a school (details supplied) has been submitted to his Department for approval; if tender documents have been submitted for approval; when sanction to seek tenders will be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30952/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has not yet received a Stage 2B submission for the project to which the Deputy refers.
As soon as the Stage 2b submission is received it will be reviewed. On completion of the review my Department will revert to the school authority with a timeframe to proceed to tender and construction.
181. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a design team will be appointed for the required extension to a school (details supplied) further to the site visit undertaken by his Department to the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30953/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which she refers was included in my Department's 6-Year Construction Programme. Following the site visit which has been undertaken, my Department will formulate a schedule of accommodation for the proposed project. My Department will be in further contact with the school when this element has been completed.
