Gerry Adams
Ceist:115. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports available to national schools to purchase essential equipment such as dining tables and chairs. [20280/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Furniture Provision
Ceisteanna (115)
Freagraí scríofa
Primary schools do not have canteen facilities so the issue of providing dining tables and chairs does not arise. Otherwise, my Department's Loose Furniture & Equipment Scheme is the mechanism for all schools - primary and post-primary - to apply for replacement furniture for teaching spaces and other spaces and to fund the purchase of individual items of furniture and equipment for special needs pupils. Funding for furniture for new schools and extension projects is automatically provided as part of the project. In addition, primary school may use their minor works grant to purchase particular furniture if they consider this a priority for their schools.
School Accommodation Provision
Ceisteanna (116)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:116. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) for a third junior infant class for September 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20281/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department has no record of receiving an application from the school referred to by the Deputy. Should an application be received it will be considered and the school authority informed of the outcome.
School Accommodation Provision
Ceisteanna (117)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:117. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) for additional accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20307/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a further appeal from the school in respect of an application for additional accommodation.
My Department has been in contact with the school authority on the matter and expects to be in a position to revert to the school shortly.
Departmental Contracts Data
Ceisteanna (118)
Mick Wallace
Ceist:118. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the contracts awarded by his Department or an agency under his remit to a company (details supplied) since March 2011, by year in tabular form; the cost per contract; the basis for each contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20314/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Details, as requested, in relation to contracts awarded by my Department and aegis bodies are currently being compiled and this information will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
Site Acquisitions
Ceisteanna (119)
John Curran
Ceist:119. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schedule regarding the delivery of a new secondary school in the Citywest and Saggart areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20324/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school to be established in 2020 to serve the Tallaght and Newcastle-Rathcoole school planning areas as a regional solution. This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
Following on from the announcement, the locations for all of the schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, will be determined as part of the site acquisition process.
Site Acquisitions
Ceisteanna (120)
John Curran
Ceist:120. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the site location of the new secondary school announced recently for the Citywest and Saggart areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20325/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the opening of 42 new schools over the next 4 years. This announcement followed nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the current and future need for primary and post-primary school places across the country. The school to which the Deputy refers was part of that announcement.
In line with the policy on the use of state assets (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circulars 11/15 and 17/16), my Department will be seeking to maximise the use of sites already in my ownership and of available properties in the ownership of other State bodies, where these are considered suitable. In addition as part of my Department's ongoing engagement with Local Authorities in respect of statutory planning processes and under the MoU on school site acquisitions, my Department will be examining all potential suitable site options, including appropriately zoned sites, to serve the relevant area. Taking into account all of the above, a decision will then be made as part of the site acquisition process in relation to an appropriate site for the school to which the Deputy refers and will be confirmed at a later date.
School Accommodation Provision
Ceisteanna (121)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:121. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a building application by a school (details supplies); the reason the school principal is receiving contradictory answers when contacting his Department for information; and when the school can expect a response from his Department. [20344/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy.
I understand the application has been considered and a decision is due to issue to the school authority in the matter in the coming days.
Apprenticeship Programmes
Ceisteanna (122)
Darragh O'Brien
Ceist:122. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review the decision not to expand the shared apprenticeship scheme for the construction sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20367/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Registrations on craft apprenticeships have grown strongly in recent years following a very significant collapse in the number of apprenticeship registrations between 2008-2011. SOLAS, in partnership with Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB), operated a pilot initiative in the last year to test the viability of a shared apprenticeship scheme. Following analysis of the pilot outcomes and in consultation with both the CIF and WWETB, I understand that SOLAS decided not to operationalise the pilot initiative more widely. In particular, it was found that the pilot did not attract employers in sufficient numbers to suggest that the scheme had the potential to have a significant impact on apprenticeship recruitment. However, I understand from SOLAS that they are currently in discussions with representatives from the construction industry to assess how the scheme could be made more viable.