Written Answers Nos. 219-233
219. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of part-time and full-time media advisers employed in his Department; the Civil Service grade of each media adviser; and the cost over a full year of employing all such advisers. [31245/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of the Guidelines on Ministerial Appointments as published by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, I have appointed Sarah O'Neill as my adviser with responsibility for media and communications. Minister of State Mitchell O'Connor has appointed Lynda McQuaid as her special adviser with responsibility for Media and Communications.
In accordance with the terms of the Ethics in Public Office Acts a copy of their respective contracts of employment containing details of their salary together with a statement of their qualifications have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
220. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision is likely on the application by a school (details supplied) to become co-educational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31256/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received an application from the Patron of the school in question.
The application is being considered and my Department will be in further contact with the Patron as part of this process.
221. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the expressions of interest in constructing a college (details supplied) have been evaluated; when actual tenders will be invited for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31258/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe assessment of submissions from those who have expressed an interest in pre-qualification as Main Contractor for the project to which the Deputy refers, is ongoing. The process is expected to be completed shortly. It is not possible to say exactly when the project will proceed to tender until the pre-qualification process has been completed.
222. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 370 of 12 June 2018, if a design team has been appointed to progress the planning of the new schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31259/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs indicated in my response to the previous Parliamentary Question, engagement with the vendor is ongoing in respect of outstanding clarifications regarding the proposed school site acquisition. Therefore, the appointment of a design team cannot be progressed yet but Department officials will work to do so as soon as it is possible.
223. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the tender analysis is completed in relation to a school (details supplied); if the preferred tenderer has been chosen; when construction on the new school will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31263/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school building project to which the Deputy refers is currently at tender stage. A Letter of Intent for this project issued on 29th June 2018. The Letter of Acceptance appointing the contractor is expected to be issued in Quarter 3 of 2018.
224. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the pre-qualification of contractors for a school (details supplied) has not yet commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31264/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2b – Detailed Design.
This project was authorised to commence the Pre-Qualification of Contractors in May 2018. My Department has been informed that the Design Team Leader is in a position to publish the contract notice inviting contractors to tender for Pre-Qualification on e-tenders by the end of this week. The pre-qualification and shortlisting of suitable contractors normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete.
When pre-qualification is complete the project will then be progressed to tender stage. A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete.
In March 2018 my Department issued a letter to the school and its Design Team outlining the projected timeframe for the progression of this project to tender and construction stage and the steps involved.
225. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will sanction the pre-qualification of tenders for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31265/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe building project referred to is for a new 24 classroom school including a Special Needs Unit, with a floor area of approx. 4,748m2. The project is currently at Stage 2B of the Architectural Planning process – Detailed Design Stage.
Planning permission, fire certificate and disability access certificate for this project have been granted and the Department has recently authorised the project to proceed to pre-qualification of contractors.
Pre-qualification normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete. When pre-qualification is complete the project will then be progressed to tender stage (Stage 3). A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete.
226. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the pre-qualification process for the construction of a school (details supplied) has been completed; when the actual tender process will commence for the construction of the new school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31266/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2b – Detailed Design.
This project was authorised to commence the Pre-Qualification of Contractors in April 2018. The pre-qualification and shortlisting of suitable contractors normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete.
The Design Team has confirmed that it is currently assessing expressions of interest applications. A pre-qualification report will be compiled and forwarded to the Department once this exercise is complete.
Thereafter, the tender process for the awarding of a construction contract will be carried out. This process takes between 7 and 8 months to complete.
In February 2018 my Department issued a letter to the school and its Design Team outlining the projected timeframe for the progression of this project to tender and construction stage and the steps involved.
227. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the specific projects which will receive the €196 million in extra capital expenditure in 2019 as outlined in Annex 1 of the National Development Plan 2018-2027; the amount each project will receive of this €196 million in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31273/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra228. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the specific projects which will receive the €941 million in capital funding allocated in 2019; the amount each project will receive of the €941 million in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31288/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 227 and 228 together.
The Mid-Term Review of the Capital Plan 2016-2021 identified an additional €663m for the education sector of which €191m is in respect of 2019. This additional capital funding for 2019 will be expended on the following sectors:
Schools Sector - €109m
Higher Education Sector - €65m
Further Education Sector - €10m
Research - €7m
This additional funding forms part of the overall capital allocation of €941m for the education sector in 2019, which will enable my Department to implement commitments contained in Project Ireland 2040. The attachment provides the indicative allocation available for each sector.
CAPITAL ALLOCATION 2019
|
SUBHEAD |
(€m) |
|
Primary/Post-Primary Schools |
622 |
|
Higher Education Sector |
90 |
|
Research Activities |
47.6 |
|
PPPs |
112 |
|
ICT (Schools) |
50 |
|
Further Education Sector |
13 |
|
Other Programmes |
6.4 |
|
TOTAL |
941 |
The School Sector allocation will be expended primarily on the delivery of large scale projects and on the Additional Accommodation Scheme. Typically, expenditure of up to 80% of the capital allocation available to schools annually is in respect of the large scale projects and the Additional Accommodation Scheme. The balance available in 2019 will be expended on site acquisitions, the Summer Works Scheme, the Emergency Works Scheme, furniture and equipment provision and other smaller programmes.
The allocation available to the Higher Education Sector for 2019 is significantly higher than in recent years and will allow a number of priority infrastructure projects to progress, including, for example, a new Engineering, Energy and Environment Institute in TCD. Furthermore, in the Higher Education Sector the allocation available for research is over 17% higher than in 2018 and this will facilitate a greater number of research awards to be funded.
The allocation available for the PPP subhead will be expended primarily on unitary charges associated with the Schools Bundles delivered to date and on the Cork School of Music and the National Maritime College of Ireland.
The funding available for ICT in Schools is intended to support schools in implementing a Digital Learning Plan, as outlined in the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, to achieve the embedding of the use of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment.
The funding available for the Further Education and Training Sector will secure the upgrade and renewal of facilities and equipment required for a broadly based apprenticeship system.
Other programmes to be funded in 2019 include Public Sector Reform and the Department's IT requirements.
229. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the specific reason for the underspend in gross voted expenditure of €38 million as outlined in Appendix V of the June 2018 fiscal monitor; the specific projects that have an underspend; the value of the underspend on each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31305/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe underspend at the end of June 2018 on the Department's capital programme relates to a number capital subheads.
The PPP capital subhead is approximately €14m behind profile. This is due to the impact of the Carillion liquidation on the timing of completion of Schools Bundle 5. The profile had estimated the completion of Schools Bundle 5 in the first half of the year which would have resulted in a significant VAT payment and the commencement of unitary charges; these payments have now been delayed.
Expenditure on the Higher Education capital subhead is €2m behind profile. Claims for payment on this subhead are submitted to the Department by the Higher Education Authority and the variation from profile is due to timing issues.
The Schools Capital subhead is €21m behind profile due to a variety of factors. A number of building contractors experienced serious difficulties in 2018 resulting in either liquidation or examinership; this had an impact on a number of large scale projects where building works were either halted or significantly delayed. The unfavourable weather in February and March also had an impact on the pace of delivery of building projects, and a number of large scale projects expected to commence on site in the early months of 2018 experienced delays. A combination of these factors meant that expenditure on major building projects was less than anticipated in the first half of the year, in particular during the period February to April. Progress on a number of programmes such as the Emergency Works Scheme and the provision of furniture and equipment was also slower than anticipated in the first half of the year.
In addition, there is an underspend of €1m on the Public Sector Reform subhead due to delays in the procurement process and the appointment of a project manager.
It should be noted that capital spend for the months of May and June was in line with profile. I do not expect that there will be any underspend in my Department's capital budget at end year.
230. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of 250 additional assistant principals. [31360/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe annual allowance currently payable for the post of Assistant Principal 1 is €8,520 and Assistant Principal 2 is €3,769.
The annual costs of appointing 250 posts at AP1 & AP2 level are outlined below:
Assistant Principal 1
Annual Allowance: €8,520
Annual Cost of 250 AP1 Posts: €2,130,000
Assistant Principal 2
Annual Allowance: €3,769
Annual Cost of 250 AP2 Posts: €942,250.
231. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in 2013 the European Social Fund made it a requirement that tutors in training centres should no longer be contracted in a self-employed capacity (details supplied); if his attention has been further drawn to pay anomalies in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31385/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe pay and conditions approved for Local Training Initiative (LTI) coordinators is a matter for their employers and the national authorities. It is further noted that LTI Programme has not, to date, been selected for inclusion in the ETB Training for the Unemployed operation within the current Irish ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020. The activities currently selected for support under this operation are Specific Skills Training; Bridging-courses and Traineeships. Community Training Centres have been approved as an operation under Priority 4 of the Programme, which deals with the YEI, since January 2017.
232. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a new school bus route will be considered for a group of children (details supplied) who were unable to obtain places in their local school and now cannot access school transport to their new school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31413/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 116,000 children, including over 12,000 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 at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
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.
Under the terms of the Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are generally eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre.
The children referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport and may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only which is subject to a number of conditions including the following:-
- Routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis; no additional State cost will be incurred.
Bus Éireann is currently processing applications for school transport for the 2018/19 school year and families wishing to avail of transport on a concessionary basis should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office regarding the availability of seats.
The terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
233. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if students domiciled in Northern Ireland who wish to enter third-level education in institutions here in September 2019 will be considered non-EU students; if they will be required to pay the non-EU rate of student fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31438/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has been working closely with a number of organisations, and in particular with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), in Brexit planning for the higher education sector.
The HEA has published a Brexit issues paper and has held meetings with the HEIs to discuss ongoing planning and issues with them as the process develops. My Department will continue to engage in this important aspect of planning and research work, and during 2018 will maintain our extensive engagement with stakeholders across the sector, which has been fundamental to the Department’s preparations for Brexit since late 2016.
Following the UK triggering Article 50 of the Treaty in March 2017 and the ongoing negotiations, my Department has confirmed that eligible UK students who enrol for eligible courses for the 2018/19 academic year in a third level college recognised for the purposes of free fees will be able to avail of the Department’s Free Fee Schemes. Arrangements for an intake of such students for subsequent years will be kept under review in the context of the Brexit negotiations.
