Written Answers Nos 1-21
14. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that will be taken to ensure that there are no further unnecessary delays in the expected timescale for the construction and completion of phase two of a college (details supplied). [31725/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project to which the Deputy refers will provide permanent accommodation to cater for the full projected enrolment of 1000 pupils including a Special Needs Unit, a Sports Hall with fitness suite and changing facilities and ancillary accommodation and a school library.
My Department approved the project to proceed to Tender Stage in October 2016. Pre-qualification of contractors for this project had first been conducted by the design team in April 2015. Due to the passage of time since then the design team was concerned about the possibility of legal challenges at tender stage and sought advice from the Office of Government Procurement on the matter. The advice was that it would be prudent to run the pre-qualification process again. My Department concurred with this advice and requested the Design Team to conduct a second pre-qualification process.
The pre-qualification process was concluded earlier this month and Invitations to Tender issued to 6 qualified contractors on 9 June 2017. As a result of a technical issue which has emerged in recent days, relating to holidays in Northern Ireland and the fact that 4 of the 6 preferred tenderers are based in Northern Ireland, the deadline for return of tenders will be extended by two weeks to 28 July.
However, this will result in no change to the overall target for delivery of this project as the design team will be instructed to make up this two weeks in the period of processing and assessing the tender.
Subject to no further issues arising it is now anticipated that construction will commence in late 2017 and the project is, as previously advised, expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.
15. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the implementation of the action plan to expand apprenticeship and traineeships in Ireland 2016 to 2020. [31570/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn January this year we launched the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland 2016-2020, which sets out how state agencies, education and training providers and employers will work together to deliver on the Action Plan for Education commitments on the expansion of apprenticeship and traineeship in the period.
Last year we saw the first of the new apprenticeships developed by the Apprenticeship Council with the launch of the Insurance Practitioner and the Industrial Electrical Engineer apprenticeships. Last month three further new apprenticeships got underway, two in the medical devices area and a polymer processing apprenticeship. Subject to successful validation, a further ten programmes are scheduled to get underway later this year in various sectors including hospitality, accounting and financial services.
A key commitment set out in the Plan for this year was the issuing of a second call for proposals to refresh the pipeline of proposals already established through the first call. The second call issued on 4 May and will remain open until 1 September.
As well as developments in new apprenticeships, registrations in the craft trades are rising as the employment and economic situation improves. In 2016 there were 3,742 registrations which represents a significant recovery since the crash. This year the upward trend continues with registrations at the end of June of 2,200 which is almost 40% ahead of the same period in 2016. Registrations in the craft trades are predicted to grow to 5,587 over the period to 2020.
A steering group, chaired by SOLAS with representatives from all key stakeholders, has recently been established to examine ways of relaunching existing traineeships and also developing new career traineeships. To date six new traineeships have been developed.
A lot has been learned in the expansion project and I am confident that we now have a clear process with strong governance to allow the efficient development of new apprenticeships and traineeships.
16. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received a response from the Christian Brothers regarding the playing pitches at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31797/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has written to the Congregation in response to its correspondence on the matter of the Clonkeen lands, seeking clarification on a number of points including whether the land in question is, as advised, the subject of a legally binding agreement with a home builder.
The Congregation have acknowledged the correspondence concerned and indicated that it would be in further contact with my Department before the end of June. My officials have since written further to the Congregation seeking an early response.
17. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the existing or planned measures to ensure that primary school teachers are sufficiently trained to deal with mental health issues that may arise with regard to their pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31701/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health. The process spans the curriculum in schools, whole school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care and the provision of professional support for teachers. It also involves other supports such as educational psychological services and the interface with other agencies, both nationally and locally.
All primary initial teacher education programmes include psychology of education, sociology of education and curricular studies including the implementation of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum which is taught at all class levels. The SPHE curriculum provides particular opportunities to foster the personal development, well-being, and social and emotional health of the individual child.
To support schools, my Department has produced and distributed the Well-Being in Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention (2015). These guidelines are informed by consultation with key Education and Health partners, and by current research. They assist schools and the school community in (a) supporting and responding to the mental health and well-being needs of our children and (b) in providing a safe and supportive environment for building life skills and resilience and a strong sense of connectedness to school. My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is actively assisting schools and school communities in this regard.
Professional development services are provided by my Department to support teachers in addressing and dealing with mental health issues. These services provide support across a continuum: from whole-school and classroom level, to support for some children and support for a few children. At primary level, continuing professional development is provided through:
- The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) which provides guidance for schools in managing and responding to critical incidents; and training in the delivery by teachers of programmes, including the Incredible Years programme, which aims to prevent and treat young children's behaviour problems and promote their social, emotional, and academic competence;
- The Professional Development Service for Teachers provides professional development support to teachers and schools to develop and promote student health and well-being, including mental health, in the context of a positive health promoting school environment. In 2016, there were 8,535 CPD engagements with teachers in this area through seminars, workshops and in school support;
- The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Support Service, will support teachers in addressing the needs of pupils with special educational needs, including needs which relate to their mental health;
- Supports are also provided through the Association of Teachers’ Education Centres in Ireland (ATECI) summer courses, the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN), the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) and the Centre for School Leadership.
A key theme of my Department’s 2017 Action Plan for Education is the support of well-being initiatives to ensure that mental resilience and personal well-being are integral parts of the education and training system. Specifically, the Plan commits to the commencement of the roll-out of the Friends for Life programme and the Incredible Years Classroom Management programme to teachers in all DEIS schools. NEPS will deliver both programmes commencing in the autumn and are currently in the process of recruiting an additional 11 psychologist staff to undertake this work.
It is planned that during the coming academic year, some 40 Friends programmes will be organised involving some 1,000 primary and post-primary teachers and 50 Incredible Years programmes will be offered to some 1,000 primary school teachers at the commencement of a three year roll-out of the training.
18. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of the commitment in the programme for Government to establish a new in-school speech and language service to support young children; his Department's engagement with the HSE to develop a plan for the implementation of this commitment; the details of the review and audit carried out by the HSE to facilitate the implementation of this plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31801/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for a Partnership Government states that a new model of In-School Speech and Language Therapy will be established. It also contains a commitment to examine the adequacy of the present policies and provision, and their scope for improvement, particularly in relation to speech and language difficulties and early intervention.
As Speech and Language Therapists are currently employed by the Health Service Executive (HSE), officials at my Department are engaging with colleagues in the Department of Health and the HSE to review the existing level of Speech and language therapy provision and to conduct an audit of services nationally.
The review is being overseen by the Interdepartmental Cross Sectoral team which has a role to coordinate and integrate the provision of health and educational services.
At the Cross-Sectoral Team meeting of 24 May last, the HSE informed the group that it has reviewed the provision of Speech and Language Therapy services and that the report of the national group was completed at the end of March.
The report is currently being considered by the National Directors for Primary Care and for Social Care and it is expected that this report will be circulated as soon as possible thereafter.
The review of existing services will guide the implementation of the Programme for Government commitment.
Pending the development of any new speech and language therapy delivery model my Department continues to provide an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD), through the provision of special classes for pupils with SSLD in primary schools, and through additional Special Educational Needs teaching supports provided to all schools.
19. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons in the English language teaching sector experience abuses (details supplied). [31628/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. Issues relating to working conditions are a matter between the two parties and do not come under the remit of my Department.
There is an extensive range of legislation in Ireland which protects the employment rights of workers, including English language teachers, in relation to employment contracts, payment of wages and related matters. It is the responsibility of the employer in the first instance to ensure that their employees receive their employment rights. Where an employee considers that their rights have been breached they may bring a claim under the appropriate legislation to the Workplace Relations Commission. The Workplace Relations Commission is also responsible for monitoring a range of employment rights through its Inspection Service.
A core component of the Government's future policy for the English language sector will be the introduction of the International Education Mark (IEM). 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 necessary legislation to facilitate the introduction of the IEM is being progressed by my Department. This legislation will also provide Quality and Qualifications Ireland, who will manage the IEM, with additional powers to examine the bona fides of providers, including English language providers.
20. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the Government held negotiations with the EU to reduce the eligibility criteria for EU cohesion funding in order that small businesses can avail of this funding when making persons redundant. [30502/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) assists Member States to provide active labour market supports to workers made redundant as a result of globalisation or due to a global financial and economic crisis. The Fund stands outside the EU multiannual financial framework and the Cohesion Fund, drawing from savings across the EU budget, subject to a maximum annual amount of €150m.
To be eligible for assistance there must be at least 500 redundancies in a specific company (including suppliers/downstream producers) in a 4 month period, or at least 500 redundancies in a specific sector in a 9 month period. The threshold number of redundancies was originally set at 1,000, however this was reduced to the current 500 threshold as part of EU Member States negotiations on revisions to the EGF in 2009.
Under the current EGF Regulation, workers made redundant from small companies can be included in EGF programmes in a number of ways.
Company specific EGF applications can include small businesses and self-employed persons whose activity has ceased, provided that it can be demonstrated that their activity was dependent on the specific company concerned (i.e. they were a supplier or downstream producer of the company). Sectoral EGF applications can include small businesses and self-employed persons who were operating in the relevant economic sector.
In small labour markets or in exceptional circumstances, applications can be made where the minimum threshold number of redundancies is not entirely met and the Member State can substantiate that there is a serious impact on employment and the local, regional or national economy. Cases approved on exceptional circumstances grounds cannot exceed 15% of the total EGF annual budget. A number of Irish EGF applications have been approved on exceptional circumstances grounds.
21. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make a formal offer to the Christian Brothers to hand over the playing pitches at a school (details supplied) in lieu of some of the moneys owed to the redress board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31798/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraDecisions in regard to the disposal of these lands are a matter for the Congregation. I would expect the Congregation to have given very careful consideration to all relevant issues, including the education needs of the current and future students of Clonkeen College. The Congregation has also to balance that need with the need to complete its outstanding redress contribution. After the publication of the Ryan report, the Congregation pledged to make a cash contribution of €30 million to a fund to aid survivors of abuse and have contributed €21.2 million to date. The monies are paid into a fund to aid survivors, a lot of whom are advancing in years and require services supplemental to what the State can offer.
I am not privy to the deliberations or to the debates within the Congregation that led to their decision to sell off these lands for property development. I would be reasonably confident that there are other assets the Congregation could dispose of to realise its remaining redress contribution.
The Congregation has recently written to me in regard to the wider issue of the transfer of ownership of its playing fields to the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST). Proposals in regard to its playing fields had been made to the Government in 2009 and counterproposals were made which were not accepted by the Congregation or ERST to which the playing fields are, I understand, currently licensed. The Congregation has indicated its willingness to engage further with my Department on how such a transfer would be reckoned as a redress contribution.
My Department has written to the Congregation on the matter of the Clonkeen lands, seeking clarification on a number of points including whether the land in question is now the subject of a legally binding agreement with a builder.
The Congregation have acknowledged the correspondence and will be in further touch with my Department.
