Written Answers Nos. 50-70
50. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the shortage of primary school and secondary school places for children in the County Wexford catchment area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52005/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department’s capital programme continues to address the challenge posed by a rapidly increasing school population. To meet this demographic challenge, my Department’s Capital Investment Programme (2016-2021) details the school projects that are being progressed through the architectural planning process towards tender and construction. The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.
There is currently a review underway of the need for school places across our 314 school planning areas, which is expected to identify new needs due to the higher than expected population recorded in the Census. It is anticipated that decisions based on these exercises will be announced shortly.
As part of my Department's School Capital Investment Programme, seven major building projects in Wexford schools are being progressed, three schools at Primary level and four schools at Post Primary level.
51. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on to teachers’ claims that there is inadequate time to deliver the junior cycle syllabus to pupils. [51896/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am satisfied that there is sufficient time within the timetable for teachers and schools to provide and deliver a broad junior cycle programme in schools. The Junior Cycle subject specifications and syllabuses set out the minimum time to be allocated to subjects and short courses. Subject to meeting these minimum thresholds, schools have flexibility in allocating time to subjects.
Most subjects in the new Framework for Junior Cycle will require a minimum of 200 hours of timetabled student engagement over three years, that includes teaching, learning and assessment activity. This minimum equates to three forty-minute class periods per week. English, Irish and Mathematics will each require a minimum of 240 hours of timetabled student engagement. It is anticipated that schools will typically allocate 4 to 5 forty-minute class periods per week for these subjects. 100 hours of timetabled student engagement are required for each Junior Cycle short course.
There is currently no minimum or maximum time requirement for the various Junior Certificate subjects.
In addition, schools from September of this year offer a Junior Cycle Well-being programme to students, which begins with 300 hours of timetabled engagement in 2017 and will build up to 400 hours by 2020 as the new Junior Cycle is implemented fully in schools. I am satisfied that the timetable requirement for the Well-being programme will not impact negatively on the time available for other subjects. This is because well-being is built on a number of pillars, which include subjects already offered, including PE, SPHE and CSPE. Learning in other subjects and short courses that are clearly linked to learning in Well-being can also be included in this time allocation.
52. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to facilitate requests for consultation talks with survivors of residential industrial schools in order to develop a survivor lead strategy to provide support for those survivors who are looking for more help; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51991/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt a recent meeting with survivors, I expressed a willingness to have a series of consultation meetings around the country, led by and for survivors of institutional abuse. The purpose of these meetings will be to enable survivors to reflect on their experiences, the State’s response to the issue of institutional abuse and to make any recommendations they wish to make. The detail of how this can happen is being worked out and Department officials are in contact with survivors.
53. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the school building programme, with particular reference to the demographics and the need to ensure adequate classroom accommodation for the future in all areas throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52007/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department's Capital Programme continues to address the challenge posed by a rapidly increasing school population. To meet this demographic challenge, my Department’s Capital Investment Programme (2016-2021) details the school projects that are being progressed through the architectural planning process towards tender and construction. The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.
Between 2011 and 2019, total enrolments are expected to grow by around 105,000 pupils, circa. 64,000 at primary and circa. 41,000 at post-primary, and will continue to grow until 2025 at post primary level. Growth in enrolments is managed from within existing capacity in the school system and the provision of additional school places. Since 2012, over 66,000 additional places have been provided by projects completed under the Capital Programmes. It is anticipated that at least a further 14,000 places will be provided annually over the next two years, bringing the total number of places delivered under the Programmes to almost 100,000 places. The places provided under the smaller scale additional accommodation scheme will also assist in meeting demographic demand.
There is currently a review underway of the need for school places across our 314 school planning areas, which is expected to identify new needs due to the higher than expected population recorded census.
The Action Plan for Education sets out the Government's ambitions for the Education system, including the commitment contained in the Programme for Government, towards the prioritisation of school educational infrastructure.
Following the Capital Review, additional capital funding of €332m will be available to the schools sector primarily from 2019 onwards, boosting investment in our primary and post-primary schools infrastructure. This significant investment reflects the priority which government has put on education on delivering on our ambition to deliver a fair society and a strong economy.
54. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a site will be purchased to accommodate the three school campus in Buncrana, County Donegal; the timeframe of works to ensure that this school campus is completed as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51808/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware the project in respect of the education campus in Buncrana is included on my Department's capital programme.
My Department is working closely with Donegal County Council in relation to the proposed site acquisition and Council officials have confirmed that an update on this process will be provided to my Department at an early date. Once this is received it will be evaluated with a view to definitively progressing the site acquisition.
When the site acquisition is complete the project to deliver the schools will progress into architectural planning.
55. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timeframe for the completion of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52003/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, a building project to provide permanent accommodation for the school referred to is included in my Department’s 6 Year Construction Programme.
My Department has been working with South Dublin County Council to acquire the site on which the school is currently located. It is intended to progress the building project for the school into the architectural planning process shortly. In this regard, a schedule of accommodation and project brief is currently being finalised.
My Department recently met with the school authority to appraise them of the current position and my officials will continue to liaise directly with the school to ensure that a new school building is delivered as soon as possible.
56. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reconsider the recent cuts in learning support and resource allocation to a school (details supplied) which has meant that the school has effectively lost the services of a full-time teacher in this area; his views on he impact that this has had on the school, the staff and the pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52008/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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.
Under the new allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.
The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to give a fairer allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the actual level of need in each school.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the school referred to in his question received an allocation of 115.25 hours special education teaching support, based on its school profile and an enrolment of 343 pupils at the time that the school profile developed. This is a substantial allocation of hours for a school of this size.
Whereas the profiled allocation had indicated a need of 102.50 hours for this school, based on its school profile and size, and relative to the profiled needs of all other schools, the school was allocated 115.25 hours, which was equivalent to the allocation the school received in 2016/17.
There has therefore been no reduction or cut to the allocation of special educational needs teaching support for this school and no cut to the allocation in this school.
Under the new allocation model, schools are frontloaded with resources, based on each school’s profile, to provide supports immediately to those pupils who need it without delay. This reduces the administrative burden on schools as schools no longer have to complete an application process annually and apply for newly enrolled pupils who require resource hours. Children who need support can have that support provided immediately rather than having to wait for a diagnosis.
Schools will therefore no longer have to make applications, for newly enrolled pupils for whom resource teaching hours may have been provided under the old model, or for pupils who have received a new diagnosis, as schools will now receive a single allocation for all of their special education teaching needs, based on their school size and profile.
It should be noted that this is a brand new model of allocation and is not comparable to the existing model. By using a broad range of attainment and socio-economic criteria, it is expected that generally, a school’s profile will remain relatively constant from year to year. Each year, some students with additional teaching needs will leave and others will enrol, broadly balancing the school profile. Resources allocated under this model will not normally be adjusted between allocations.
Both my Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are committed to ensuring all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which their school profiles have been calculated.
Accordingly, a number of review processes have been put in place to support schools.
In March of this year, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) published details of an appeal process for schools.
Schools were advised that this appeal would consider circumstances where schools considered that their school profile was calculated incorrectly, using the data set out in DES Circulars 0013 and 0014 of 2017. An appeal could be submitted for a review of the information used and of the calculation of the allocation.
Schools who wished to submit an appeal on this basis were asked to do so by March 31st 2017. These appeals have been processed and this appeal process has now concluded.
A second process has been put in place to address circumstances where the school profile significantly changed following the allocation process e.g. a developing school where the net enrolment numbers significantly increased.
The criteria for qualification for mainstream school developing school posts are set out in DES Circular 17/2017 (Primary School Staffing Schedule) and DES 10,11,12/2017 (Post Primary School Staffing Schedule).
Schools who qualified of additional mainstream developing school posts in accordance with these criteria also qualified for additional Special Education Teaching Allocations to take account of this developing status.
Schools were also advised that it acknowledged that there are some circumstances, which may arise in schools, which fall outside the appeals process, or allocations for developing school status.
These relate to exceptional or emergency circumstances which could not have been anticipated e.g. where the school profile changes very significantly, or where other exceptional circumstances have arisen in a school and which may require a review of schools capacity to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who need it in the school, or of their utilisation of their allocations.
The NCSE has now published details of how schools can seek a review of their allocations, including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile.
Should a school consider they fulfil the criteria for a review on the grounds of exceptional circumstances, they may request such a review at:
http://ncse.ie/review-of-special-education-teacher-supports-where-there-are-exceptional-circumstances-or-needs-arising-in-a-school
57. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure an investigation takes place into bullying concerns raised by current and former staff members of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. [51818/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that I have recently appointed an independent external examiner to carry out an investigation into claims made by a number of current and former staff of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), contained in a disclosure made under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.
I have asked the independent external examiner to report to me on the review and to make any appropriate recommendations.
58. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the memorandum of understanding between his Department and local authorities with regard to site acquisitions for new school builds includes provisions relating to the necessity for the identification of sites for temporary accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51814/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on the acquisition of sites for school planning purposes referred to by the Deputy is available on my Department's website. Under this MoU, the assistance of the local authorities is sought in the identification and procurement of school sites which are to transfer into my ownership. The MoU was devised with the intention of leveraging the experience and expertise of the local authority where school sites are to be acquired.
In general, where temporary accommodation is being arranged for schools, it can involve a number of forms, including utilisation of existing school property, the refurbishment or temporary use of existing buildings, or the installation of prefabs on a temporary or permanent site.
While the MoU does not specifically reference temporary accommodation, in general my Department works closely with local authorities and patron bodies in relation to the provision of interim accommodation for new schools and has, on occasion, sought the assistance of the local authority in relation to such accommodation based on the local knowledge of available options.
59. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the scheme, as identified as necessary by NUIG's gender task force, to address the gender imbalance among administrative staff grades will be implemented; the reason for the delay in its implementation; the number and grade of persons tasked with its formulation and implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52018/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe NUI Galway Report of its Gender Equality Task Force identified 24 recommendations to be implemented by the University. The membership of the task force is available on the NUI, Galway website. I understand that NUI, Galway has a Gender Equality Action Plan in place regarding implementation of its Gender Equality Task Force recommendations and those of the 2016 Higher Education Authority's National Review of Gender Equality in Higher Education Institutions.
The NUI, Galway action plan identifies sets of actions, lead responsibilities and time lines for the implementation of the various actions. It is updated on a regular basis and further information on these actions would be available from the university. I understand that a number of the recommendations have been implemented while others require a staged approach.
On 6 November 2017 I announced the appointment of a high level Gender Equality Task force for Higher Education to prepare a prioritised three year action plan, in consultation with stakeholders. The Task force will also oversee a national systems review of the recruitment and promotion policies and practices currently in place in higher education institutions, with a view to identifying good practice and highlighting areas that need improvement.
60. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he expects the process surrounding the application made by a school (details supplied) for a proposed building project to be complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51815/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department has received correspondence from the school in question relating to a proposed building project at the school. It is acknowledged that this project will involve complex and careful planning of the site. In this regard, my Department will be engaging further with the school authority shortly.
61. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he plans to put in place to address substitute teacher shortages. [51817/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra84. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the chronic shortages in the provision of substitute teachers in second level schools; if his attention has been further drawn to the difficulties experienced by principals in securing suitably trained and qualified substitute teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51809/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 84 together.
I am pleased to have been in a position to significantly expand the recruitment of teachers at primary and post primary levels. Some 2,300 new teachers were recruited in 2016-2017 and 2,900 are being recruited in 2017-2018. The figure of 2,900 is 21% more than the number announced in budget 2017, so we have in fact been able to recruit more new teachers than we have announced. All of the 2016-2017 posts have been successfully filled and the process for filling the additional posts in the current year is almost complete. We are successfully filling the posts that we are making available.
However, I am aware that some schools have reported difficulties in recruiting substitute teachers at primary level and in certain subjects at post primary level, and I am committed to examining all possible means of addressing these issues.
Regarding issues around finding substitute teachers at primary level, there are strong career opportunities in teaching and the numbers of permanent full-time positions are currently increasing at over 1,000 per year in 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. Due to the additional permanent positions being created, young teachers have greater opportunities to take on permanent positions, and as a result some schools may be experiencing issues in hiring teachers to fill temporary or substitute roles, which arise in schools for a number of reasons, including covering sick leave and career breaks.
I have also undertaken measures to increase the pool of teachers available to schools in particular to fill short term vacancies. My Department informed all teachers retiring in 2017 that in order to remain eligible for employment in a state funded teaching post for a period of more than five consecutive days or to supervise the State examinations, a teacher must maintain his/her registration with the Teaching Council. My Department also increased the limits for employment while on career break at primary level to a maximum of 90 days in a school year. In addition, as a longer term measure, under my Department’s Gaeltacht Policy, an RFT is currently being developed for a new Irish-medium B.Ed. (primary teaching) ITE programme.
At post primary level I have taken certain initiatives to address some of the supply pressures in particular subject areas. These include, as part of the implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, increasing from 2018/19 the number of places available on the existing Irish medium post primary initial teacher education programme in NUIG, to which I have granted two additional posts from September 2017. This measure will strengthen the Irish-language proficiency of newly qualified teachers across a range of subjects and, it is anticipated, also increase the supply of Irish language teachers. I have also increased from 85 to 101 the number of students admitted to St Angela’s, Sligo to follow the Home Economics ITE programme in the current year, with further expansions in future years being considered.
The Deputy will be aware of the report of the Technical Working Group on teacher supply, ‘Striking the Balance’ which, while focussing on the development of a model of primary teacher supply, outlined the work which will be required to establish a long term model of post-primary teacher supply. The Teaching Council, which has an advisory role in this matter, recently convened a consultative forum on teacher supply with relevant stakeholders with the aim of producing teacher supply proposals and I look forward to seeing the report from this forum which will further inform our thinking in this matter.
I am reviewing a number of options in order to incentivise students to undertake the two year Professional Masters in Education, including financial incentives. Specifically, in the recently launched STEM and Foreign Languages in Education Implementation Plans, my Department has committed to undertake baseline data collection and analysis to inform policy on the supply of STEM and foreign language teachers and to develop policy actions to support the supply of teachers of these subjects.
62. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the implementation of the school transport review; the actions he will take in implementing the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51987/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 114,000 children, including over 11,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
The purpose of the School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
In general, children are eligible for school transport if they meet the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
Arising from commitments in the Programme for Government, a review the Concessionary Charges and Rules element of the School Transport Scheme was undertaken.
The review was published in December 2016 and made recommendations on both the charges and the rules element of concessionary school transport.
With regard to the charges for concessionary school transport the recommended course of action was to continue with the current position whereby charges remain in place for those in receipt of concessionary places. I agree with this recommendation on the basis that those applying for concessionary transport are making a conscious decision to do so and understand the implications of this choice at the time of application.
The report also recommended that the number of concessionary places should be reduced in line with the rules introduced in 2012 on a phased basis. Previous plans to advance this option were put on hold, pending the completion of the review.
However upon consideration of the review and following discussions with the Cross Party Working Group which I established to feed into the review, I decided that there should be no planned programme of downsizing in the coming years except in line with normal operational decisions within the current scheme.
63. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase co-operation on a North-South basis in the further and higher education sectors. [51806/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA major objective of my Department is to contribute, in the context of the Good Friday Agreement, to the development of North-South co-operation and common action in the field of education.
North-South Co-operation is a priority activity identified in the Programme for Government. In this context, the strengthening and deepening of co-operation in education to achieve effective and efficient delivery of educational services for the benefit of all the people of this island remains a primary goal.
Work to date has included developing, within the framework of the North-South Ministerial Council, common policies in the designated areas of special education needs, educational underachievement, teacher mobility and school, youth and teacher exchanges.
Departments North and South have also been mandated to explore the potential for further areas of co-operation in education not within the existing NSMC framework. To that end there has been significant engagement and cooperation at Ministerial and official levels on higher education and skills issues in recent years covering higher and further education strategies and policies; legislative and institutional reform; funding of higher and further education; access/student mobility issues; cross-border student flows; research; and possible collaboration on EU funding programmes.
At institutional level, there is a broad range of cross-border collaboration particularly in research and innovation, which has been supported by EU funding programmes and national research funding programmes in Ireland. I will work to support the continuation of this valuable collaboration.
A key challenge for future North-South engagement will be how we manage the impacts of Brexit on our respective education systems in such areas as cross-border access to education; teacher and academic mobility and future collaboration on the island in research and innovation programmes.
In this context consultation is fundamental to my approach and I had already met and discussed these issues with the then Northern Ireland Minister for Education and the UK Secretary of State for Education. In addition my Department met with UK and Northern Ireland officials on a bi-lateral basis earlier this year and ongoing contacts are being maintained with NI and UK officials.
It is my aspiration that, with an eventual agreement in Northern Ireland on the restoration of the power-sharing executive, we can regain the momentum on North-South cooperation in higher and further education.
64. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has had discussions with an organisation (details supplied) in view of the delays in registering teachers. [51977/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority for the professional regulation, including registration, of teachers in the State.
Applications for registration are considered by the Teaching Council under Section 31 of the Acts and the Teaching Council Registration Regulations 2016.
Under Section 30 of the Teaching Council Acts applicants for teaching posts in recognised schools are required to be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from Oireachtas-voted funds.
The normal registration timeframe in the case of teachers qualified in Ireland is 6-8 weeks from receipt of all application documentation. I am advised by the Council that, in general, this timeframe is being adhered to, having regard to the specifics of individual cases.
65. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the shortage teachers training to teach STEM subjects and the difficulties in encouraging qualified graduates to pursue a career in teaching these subjects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51810/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2016/17 and in 2017/18, I provided for the recruitment of in the region of 3,000 teachers at post-primary level. All of the 2016-2017 posts have been successfully filled and the process for filling the additional posts in the current year is almost complete. We are successfully filling the posts that we are making available.
As the Deputy knows, last week I launched a STEM Policy Statement and Implementation Plan, which aims to make Ireland the best in Europe in STEM by 2026. This Policy Statement focusses on the many strengths in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education in Ireland while providing a roadmap to address the areas for development.
Some schools have reported shortages in recruiting teachers in specific subjects at post primary level, including in STEM. The reasons for this are complex. Part of the reason is due to an imbalance in the availability of teachers in certain subjects – for example a large proportion of teachers training as Geography teachers and a small proportion choosing to train in subjects such as Physics.
As part of the implementation of the STEM Strategy I am determined to deliver increased teacher supply in key priority areas. My officials are gathering and analysing baseline data. We are also assessing specific policy initiatives which can accelerate supply in critical areas. This would include measures to deliver a higher proportion of those entering initial teacher education at undergraduate or masters level in the priority areas; to upgrade the skills of existing teachers; to identify possible sources of qualified persons who are not now teaching.
66. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if PLC education in Dublin 15 will be provided; his plans to make sufficient PLC places available to persons in Dublin 15 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51812/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Further Education and Training (FET) sector provides a broad range of provision at levels 1 to 6 of the National Framework of Qualifications, to meet the needs of over 300,000 learners.
The Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme is the largest of the full time FET programmes with over 30,000 PLC places available annually. PLC provision is planned at a national level by SOLAS and the vast majority of courses are delivered through Education and Training Boards (ETBs). In the context of the annual planning of FET provision, it is a matter for each ETB to determine how best to distribute and plan the programme allocations to meet the further education and training needs of their area.
FET provision for Dublin 15 is planned by Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB). This year almost 3,200 PLC places were allocated to DDLETB and almost 8,000 PLC places were allocated to City of Dublin ETB.
More generally, in the context of the implementation of the FET Strategy 2014-2019, arrangements are being made by SOLAS in conjunction with my Department to conduct a series of evaluations of the employment focused FET programmes to ensure relevance to the labour market and the effective progression of participants. The first of these evaluations, conducted by the ESRI and examining the PLC Programme, has recently been completed. The report of the ESRI and the response of SOLAS to the findings of the evaluation will be published shortly. Implementation of the recommendations will address a number of issues including the distribution of PLC places between ETBs and other providers.
67. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the proportion of Solas funding for further education to be performance based in the future. [51899/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the Further Education and Training Strategy SOLAS is committed to the implementation of a performance based funding model (strategic inputs and outcomes based funding model) which will emphasise the focus on the strategic rationale for Further Education & Training (FET) provision and the continuous improvement process.
SOLAS and the Education & Training Boards (ETBs) have worked on building the planning model incrementally over the last 3 years. Key to the implementation of performance based funding model is the use of smart ICT systems to track FET provision; its various inputs, outputs, and outcomes for over 300,000 beneficiaries on over 20,000 courses per year.
SOLAS, working with the ETBs over the last two years, has implemented two IT systems: the Programme and Learner Support System (PLSS), which records details of individual learners on FET programmes, and the Funding Allocation Request system (FAR), which is a macro planning tool. These systems have now been integrated for the planning of and reporting on 2018 FET provision.
Successful use of these systems in 2018 will provide the base for the future introduction of the performance based funding model. At this point the value of the performance related funding element has not been decided.
The SOLAS current system of funding of FET grants is fully compliant with the relevant circulars and within the funding year, funds can be switched between funding programmes and between ETBs based on reviews twice per year.
68. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timeframe for his Department to advise schools that applied to the minor works grant scheme in 2017; when the grants will be issued in order to ensure that vital repairs and upgrades can proceed in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51811/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra73. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills when primary schools will be notified of a payment date for funding under the minor works grant scheme. [51821/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 73 together.
I am pleased to advise that yesterday I announced the Minor Works Grant 2017/2018 for primary schools across the country and payment will issue next week.
The funding will allow minor works to be carried out on the physical infrastructure of schools or on the purchase of items of furniture and equipment.
69. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce a new guarantee in order to ensure no child loses their place on board a school bus if they had been allocated a concessionary seat in either junior infants or first year of secondary school. [51895/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 114,000 children, including some 11,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
The purpose of the School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remotely from their nearest school.
In general, children are eligible for school transport if they meet the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only which is subject to a number of terms and conditions that are detailed in the scheme. The availability of concessionary transport may vary from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s school education cycle.
Children who are eligible for school transport are given priority in the allocation of seats on school transport services.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.
70. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made to locate a temporary premises for a school (details supplied); and if this issue will be addressed in time in order to ensure that the school can open in September 2018. [51988/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, where a requirement for additional post-primary schools has been identified, details including proposed timelines related to the opening of the schools are made known by a Ministerial announcement. However, patrons may decide for different operational reasons in a particular year that it is in the best interests of a new post-primary school to defer its opening. In some cases there may be a timing issue, where many parents will have already committed to other second level schools in the area ahead of the announcement of the new school.
The Patron of the new Malahide/Portmarnock post-primary school (Educate Together) decided for operational reasons that it was in the best interests of the school to postpone its opening to September 2018. My Department is continuing to work in close co-operation with the patron body to facilitate the opening of the school in suitable interim accommodation in September 2018.
